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Location: Buckner, Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: May 13
Description
Ven. Arc. Della Misericordia di Firenze ABOUT 760 YEARS THE MISERICORDIA OF FLORENCE HAS BEEN HELPING AND GIVING PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL FREE ASSISTANCE TO ANY ONE WHO NEEDS IT
The Misericordia of Florence was born in the Middle Ages during the same century of Dante (1244).The palace was built at the shadow of the bell tower by Giotto, next to the magnificent Cathedral and the Dome by Brunelleschi and near the “door of the Paradise” by Ghiberti in the heart of old Florence. The Misericordia of Florence doesn’t live by tradition and past only, but it has adapted to these days and age with a modern efficient organization.This brotherhood receives men and women of evey social rank, yearning for taking help to the ones who have need of moral and material aid.Three are its chief ideas : the good will of everyone, the whole gratuitousness of the given and received service, the anonymity of the lenders of the services.The long history of the Confraternita intersects with the one of Florence and Tuscany.The brothers and sisters’ spirit it still the same, it hasn’t changed in the course of ages. The Misericordia is considered the most prestigious, engaged existing association of charity, the most estimated and loved Florentine institution, the most ancient one in the world with a continuous activity, since more than 760 years.
This charity service, carried out by the Brothers and Sisters of the Misericordia is unique, because it isn’t a simply philanthropic aid, but a gesture of love carried out in the prayer.
A SHORT HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF THE MISERICORDIA OF FLORENCE The Misericordia of Florence, which has been present on the Florentine district uninterrupdly since 1244 gave its work, glowing on several occasions particularly when there were the worst pandemias, which tormented Europe: it is sufficient to remember in 1300 the famous Plague, which reaped many victims among the “Confratelli” too, who although the danger, didn’t give up their tasks, such as to bury the dead, conscious of the social and Christian importance which that service involved.The Confratelli took part in the help and treatments to those Florentines who worked for the fulfilment of the cathedral in Florence, of the famous Dome and many other monuments of the past. During the course of the construction of the famous Cathedral, many disagreable accidents happened among the ones who worked there and probably that is the reason why the original Centre of the Misericordia of Florence was built near the Cathedral “Santa Maria del Fiore”. The present seat was presented to the Arciconfraternita in 1576 by the Grand Duke Francesco I° of the Medici, whose greater member of the family “Lorenzo il Magnifico” was in his turn “Capo di Guardia” and “Confratello” of the Misericordia of Florence. Among the many famous personages who belonged to our Arciconfraternita, it is important to remember the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, too, who was a great stateman and the first one to revoke the death penalty in the world. In the course of ages, the Misericordia of Florence was present at many wars, such as the one between Guelfi and Ghibellini, as long as the last world war, where Florence just found it self on the front line for many days. One those occasions the Confratelli always tested their courage and self-sacrifice for charity service, risking their own lives in many cases.From more than 760 years, our Association has always listened to the “voice” of the one who calls for help, coming to the rescue of paupers without any social, political and religious discrimination. Over the centuries, the work done by the Confratelli and Consorelle made the Misericordia a real faithful reality for every Florentine, so that it was named “Venerabile” and many times it got so many distinctions for its Christian activity. The characteristic of the Arciconfraternita was and still is the Fratello’s anonymity. In the past this characteristic was guaranteed by a “Buffa” (a black cowl sewed on the dress like a friar’s), which is put on during the services with the main object not to reveal the own identity to the helped person.The requirement not to be recognized was suggested not only for a sense of discretion, but over all because it gave the Confratello the opportunity to do his/her service like a charitable disinterested action, completely spontaneous and unreserved, for which the volunteer could render merit to God only.Although the Misericordia of Florence can include among the Confratelli, many famous personages like the above – mentioned “Lorenzo il Magnifico”, noble men and several Princes of the Church, that is, every social class Florence was composed of has always belonged to this Association, no one excluded, so that it could represent a small part of the society itself, and this heterogeneity has made the Misericordia more than a simple Association, so that it could identify with Florence itself. In fact, the word “Misericordia, was and still is synonym of Ambulance and aid in the Florentine everyday speach and all over Toscany.It is important to remember that the actions of the Misericordia of Florence have always been carried out in indipendent even if respectful way by comparison with the Civil and Political Institutions and that the innumerable benefactors have contributed to its maintenance. Among these people we must mention Paolo di Taddeo, a baker, who gave the job of a whole day to the Misericordia of Florence in order to hand a roll to the poor in 1498. Since then every year on the 20th of January, the Misericordia of Florence has been giving some holy rolls to remind that gesture and to honour the patron, Saint Sebastiano. Recently the Misericordia of Florence has distinguished itself by helping the Florentine citizens on the occasion of the sorrowful flood which happened on November, the 4th 1966 and that was the first example of Aid of Civil Protection. After the flood during the following years a department of Civil Protection of the Misericordia was created and recently it has been called to take part on occasion of natural disasters, besides some operations about rural Aid.Among the latest services of Civil Protection carried out by the Misericordia of Florence, we have to remind: the criminal attempt to the Georgofili in 1993; the flood in Alessandria in 1994; the Earthquake of Umbria in 1997; the flood in Valle D’Aosta in 2000.The prestige of the Confraternita has been possible, above all, thanks to the Volunteers, Confratelli and Consorelle, who, as usual, obtain, as the only reward for their services, the awareness of helping their fellow creatures and being useful to pursue the general well-being, through the own spiritual enrichment: the sentence which better espresses this concept is “God reward you”; the volunteers, who make up the team, answer to this invitation “the same to you, Maestro”.Today the Misericordia is a ONLUS (Non lucrative organization of social benefit) and a ONG, too (non government organisation) and, after more than 760 years from its Constitution, there are more than 700 Misericordie in Italy and they are collected in a National Confederation; there are many, others or they are growing in other Countries in the World: this means that the values and the principles which inspired the Misericordia are still accepted and they are well shared in the present society, more and more marked by technology and globalization.It is important to remember with particular affection the gesture of generosity carried out with a considerable gift for the Charity works of the Misericordia of Florence given by the Citizens of Philadelfia USA in 1966. This happened on the occasion of the flood and the Misericordia was honoured for the goodness of its actions at International level, too. The new groups of Confratelli and Consorelle, who decide to put themselves to the service of the Misericordia every year, give their help and realize they are an integral part in the history and tradition in an active way and not only a representative one.
HOW TO MAKE AN OFFER TO THE MISERICORDIA OF FLORENCE: * - Directly to the headquarter of Piazza Duomo or one of our operational points in Florence.* - By bank transfer to the following accounts headed to “ Misericordia di Firenze”
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Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Sede C R spa |
c/c n° 5501/00 |
A.B.I. 06160 |
C.A.B. 02800 |
CIN “A” |
Iban IT08A0616002800000005501C00 |
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Banca Federico Del Vecchio |
c/c n°183640 |
A.B.I. 03253 |
C.A.B. 02800 |
CIN “Q” |
Iban IT13Q0325302800000000183640 |
| The Misericordia of Florence thanks all the ones who will devote an offer to our instiution, so that it can go on with its engagement, the chief purpose of which is its charity works for centuries..“ God reward you “ |
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