Pietro di Bernardone's economic impact on the poor

An excerpt from Nicola Porro’s book, ‘Il Padreterno è liberale. Antonio Martino e le idee che non muoiono mai’, explores the historical and economic impact of Pietro di Bernardone, the father of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Economist Antonio Martino argues that Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth merchant in northern Umbria during the 12th and 13th centuries, contributed more effectively to aiding the poor than his son. Martino posits that while Saint Francis preached poverty, his father provided employment and economic stability through his merchant activities.

The text notes that while Saint Francis is celebrated for his life of charity and humility following his conversion, Pietro di Bernardone’s role as a merchant left a profound, albeit different, mark on Italian history.