Architetture dell’assistenza: il modello proto-industriale del Real Albergo dei Poveri/Architecture of Assistance: e Proto-Industrial Model of the Real Albergo dei Poveri

The impressive architecture, and urban location, of the Real Albergo dei Poveri in Naples, founded in 1751 by Charles III and his wife Maria Amalia, had a very specific symbolic and real significance. On the one hand, it responded to the idea of grandeur with which the magnificence of the sovereigns and the prestige that was to be conferred on the capital of the Kingdom were to be celebrated. On the other hand, it created a new model of centralised confinement which, by institutionalising charity, replaced the practice of charity that was widespread throughout the urban area. The philanthropic character, implemented through its residential and accommodation function, was accompanied by the possibility for guests to carry out productive activities using workshops and studios. Therefore, the initial project, linked to economic objectives that diverged from those of traditional private charity, also influenced the internal organisation of the building, in which opportunities for integration with economic growth and the development of the local manufacturing fabric were to be realised. The structure and internal organisation can be classified as total institutions based on forced labour. In the Real Albergo, forced labour also left room for activities aimed at training human capital capable of finding independent means of subsistence outside the perimeter of the building.