L’abbandono e la tutela dell’infanzia: il caso senese

Abstract

The aim of this report hold at the 53rd Congress of the Italian Society of the History of Medicine in Senigallia is to bring further elements to the knowledge of abandoned childhood in a local reality, namely in Siena, in the period between 1762 and 1764. The research base is made up of some registers of the series ‘Baliatici’ kept at the State Archives of Siena, which contain, in chronological order, information on every child introduced into the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala, destined at the time for the care of the sick and foundlings, and the salaries paid to the nurses with the relative expenses connected to the care of the children themselves. A survey was carried out on a total of 682 abandoned children of whom we identified the name and surname, sex, date and method of entry, place of origin, date of death or return to the parents. Through the construction of tables, we noted and commented on the characteristics of the foundlings and nannies to whom they were entrusted.