Corporazioni e mutuo soccorso nel Ducato austro-estense : continuità e trasformazioni istituzionali

The essay shows how the abolition of guilds and the birth of mutual-aid societies in the Duchy of Modena during the first half of the 19th century gave way to a long transition when both organizational and institutional bodies - alternative in theory - overlapped and converged. The author connects the successful spread of mutual-aid societies to the social, political and patron-client relations which led to their establishment. Because of the enforcement of strict constraints on civil liberties in the Duchy, some local notables were able to act as mediators between the lower classes and the government, fostering and managing mutual-aid societies in order to establish their own patronage networks. The development of mutual-aid societies occurred in the context of the Duchy's policy supporting craftsmen organizations in an attempt of keeping Modena's public order under control. Nevertheless the Duchy proved unable of carrying out similar projects in its provinces. [Publisher's Text].