A Guide to the Documentary Collections of the «Monte di Pietà e Redenzione» – a Maltese Institution of Charity

Abstract

The Monte di Pietà e Redenzione in Malta is a charity that emerged back in 1787, from the merger of the Monte di Pietà (Mount of Piety), which was created at the end of the 16th century, with the Monte di Redenzione degli Schiavi, which was established at the beginning of the 17th century thanks to the be quest of Caterina Vitale, a Sicilian noble woman. This ancient institution, located in Valletta, on downtown Merchants Streets, is still operating nowadays. This essay, which traces back the history of the Monte, maps the documentary collections coming from this ancient Institution and held at the National Library of Valletta, at the public and private records of the Maltese capital city and under the custody of the State Archives of Rabat, the archives of the Mdina Cathedral and the parish archives of Cospicua, Qrendi, Senglea, Vittoriosa, Zebbug and Zejtun.