The Monte di Pietà in Malta, 1860-1900

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to provide the reader with a picture of the role played by the Monte di Pieta ’ in Malta, particularly from the year 1860 up to 19 00. It starts by giving an account of the set up and the development of this institution, as a charity establishment, from the time when Malta was under the Knights of the Order of St. John up t o the British rule. The work proceeds by providing an examination of the structure and management of the Monte in the later part of the nineteenth century. Apart from investigating the structures of this institution, we will all take care to focus on the main protagonists - the people who made use of its services, and were present in the Monte day in day out. Up till now, there is no actual work on the Monte di Pieta ’, especially on its significance and role in society under British rule available. Compared with the published works on other Charitable Institutions, secondary sources deal very little with this institution. It is usually just mentioned among the list of other institutions with its ser vices usually described in brief . However, at the National Archives in Rabat, one can find over hundred manuscripts about the Monte, some of which date back to 1740. Still, most of these sources are about the accounts and finances of the institution though unfortunately there are hardly any sources about the clients who made use of the pawning services. The majority of the sources which I consulted at the National Archives were the volumes of the Monte di Pieta ’ ( MDP), mainly: the Book of Obligations, the Instruct ions and Guidance for the Commissary of the Mont e d i Pieta ’ and the Register of Sales. The register in which the pawned items wer e recorded is missing . In order to fill in some of th e missing information, I had to make us e of the Malta Government Gazett es and the Blue Book s of the period being covered. All the se sources together with sec ondary ones, assisted me in sustaining the argument that the Monte di Pieta ’ had a key role to pay in Maltese society throughout the years.