«Dio riceve come un Banco». Lasciti e interessi nella Brescia barocca, in «Quaderni storici»,

This article aims to analyze in a new way a series of charitable practiceswidespread in Old regime society, by adopting a pragmatic standpoint. Thearticle focusses on an array of bequests ad pias causas left by a Brescia familyto the most important confraternity of the town. The case study shows asbequests was a first rate investment utilized by benefactors with various purposeslike getting citizenship, legal protection or profitable annuities. On thisline, it also emerges that the nexus between charitable and pragmatic motivationshas had positive outcomes on the assets’ management. This intricacywas typical of many assets managed by the confraternity: so, the bequests proanima distance themselves from the solemnity of the «last will» to becomelife annuities and vice-versa.