The Confederation
Foundation of the Movement and History of the Confederation
Origins and development
Misericordie were born in Tuscany, in Florence, in 1244. They took origin from the first forms of civic participation in community life, which were called Confraternite (Confraternities). Since then, their work has been devoted to supporting the needy through both material and moral assistance.
From Tuscany, this model spread throughout Italy, with a particularly strong participation in Central and Southern Italy, thanks to the commitment and the values promoted by the Misericordie from Tuscany during disaster relief operations
The Confederation and the origins of the Movement
Towards the end of 19th Century, the Italian Misericordie were approximately one hundred. They were especially located in the former Grand Duchy of Tuscany, but also in the Kingdom of Sardinia, in the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, and the Papal states. They were locally strong, however they had little contact between them, also due to the limited communication systems of the time.
At the end of the century, social and cultural upheavals of the new Kingdom of Italy made Misericordie aware of the importance of sharing ideas, identity and common objectives. After some months of preparation, on 24 and 25 September 1899 the first Congress took place in Pistoia with the blessing of the Holy Father. At the end of the meeting they solemnly decided to found the Italian Confederation of the Associations and Confraternities of Misericordia. That date marked the beginning of the Confederation Movement.
The National Confederation of the Misericordie of Italy
The Confederation has its main headquarters in Florence and gathers over 800 Misericordie (archconfraternities, confraternities, and fraternities), with approximately 670.000 members, 100.000 of which are active volunteers
The role and functions of the Confederation
The Confederation plays a crucial role in coordinating, supporting, and representing its member Misericordie, as well as in promoting strategies and initiatives directed at them, operating on multiple levels:
- Institutional, fiscal and administrative support
- It provides legal and accounting advice to the Misericordie
- It represents the movement at national and international level, and liaises with public institutions, local authorities and ecclesial institutions
- It promotes social and legal policies towards volunteering and third sector.
- Protection of the core values
- It protects and emphasises the core values of the movement
- It takes care of the human, ethical and spiritual aspects of the Confreres and provides for their training.
- Training and development of volunteers and managers
- It organises training courses for managers and Confreres, guaranteeing the acquisition of technical and managerial skills
- It develops training programmes on topics such as first aid, civil protection, social and healthcare assistance and emergency management
- It develops train-the-trainer courses for future trainers.
- Coordination of emergency activities
- It serves as the National Operational Centre in the event of disasters, and coordinates the operations of the Misericordie throughout the country (Pistoia headquarters)
- It collaborates with Civil Protection and other organizations to ensure a prompt and effective response
- Universal Civil Service
- It serves as the central reference headquarters for the Civil Service and it manages projects involving young volunteers in social, healthcare and assistance activities
- Innovation and project-making
- It develops pilot projects in the social and healthcare sectors, as well as in the fields of technology and social inclusion
- It promotes digital tools and advanced platforms to improve the efficacy of the services
- It promotes the creation of networks among Misericordie, public institutions, and private organizations to address the new challenges of solidarity.
- Institutional, fiscal and administrative support
An integrated system serving the country
Its widespread structure on the national territory and strong shared identity enable the Confederation to pursue common goals and maintain operational synergy between all Misericordie, while respecting local characteristics and autonomy.
Its commitment is reflected in the constant and reliable presence on the territory, with the ability to adapt to communities’ needs and anticipate emerging demands.