ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the development of the Friendly Societies in the Eastern Lombardy from 1860 to the start of World War 1 and It also illustrates the difficult relations existing between the 'Societa di Mutuo Soccorso' (SMS) and the Italian state government. The chapter concerns with the different types of the SMS and the benefits they granted to their members. Moreover, it presents evidence that in the Eastern Lombardy the SMS created a 'new welfare system' while the Italian state did not engage in the provision of welfare support until the twentieth century. The chapter provides a professional, gender and age profile of the members of the SMS, while looking at the assets at the disposal of the organizations. It allows scholars to make some comparisons with other European countries and regions where there existed mutual aid organizations which operated in a similar social and economic context.
