"Pericolanti" e "Pericolate" a Ferrara in età Napoleonica.

This research focuses on the system of charity and aid in Ferrara in the Napoleonic period. Particular attention has been paid to the woman’s position and this has been divided into two principal catagories: ‘The Innocent’ and ‘The Fallen’. These titles, unused for almost two centuries, defined for a considerable time, a woman’s status which centred on her honour and the dangers of losing this honour. In the 18th Century, the value of virginity was very high and was capable, through the dowry system, of changing a woman’s social and economic status which in turn influenced in a very real way the two main opportunities available to her, to marry or to enter a nunnery Female orphans, the poor and homeless represent the most vulnerable social level and those most a risk of resorting to prostitution and begging to survive and consequently losing their honour and becoming ‘the fallen’. This is where purpose made organizations, such as homes for spinsters or assisted accommodation came into play, supplying, after often forcing the ‘patients’ to enter, economic and moral support and protection, often missing or unsuitable in their family lives. During the Napoleonic period in Ferrara two types of aid were present and these have been studied in this theses. The majority of the data originates from manuscripts written during the time of Napoleon, mainly found in the Archives of Ferrara and also in the State Archives and those of the Diocese of Ferrara. These documents have allowed us not only to appreciate the way in which the church managed their administration but also to have a direct account of real life experiences, told by the women who were involved, particularly from the Casa di Santa Maria del Soccorso, which was a shelter for unmarried pregnant women.