Between putting out and proto-factory. The institute of "orfani nazzareni" in padova during the first half of the seventeenth century

The article aims to show the first results of an on-going research on the role of charitable institutions within an urban manufacturing system, with particular attention to organizational models, market- and labour- relations. The case study is an orphanage in Padua during the first half of the seventeenth century: the "Pio luogo degli Orfani Nazzareni". I will analyse the role of the orphanage within the urban textile manufacturing system, with main reference to the quantity and quality of production, the suppliers and the main merchant-manufacturers involved. Finally, I will examine some elements (labour relationships, management and guilds) that will allow us to better identify the role played by the institution for the city.