Legal Definitions - montes pietatis

Montes Pietatis

Montes Pietatis were institutions created to lend money to people who needed it. They would take items as collateral, or a promise to pay back the money.

For example, if someone needed money to pay for a medical bill, they could go to a Montes Pietatis and give them a valuable item, like a piece of jewelry, as collateral. The Montes Pietatis would then lend them the money they needed, and the person would have to pay it back with interest. If they couldn't pay it back, the Montes Pietatis would keep the item they gave as collateral.

Another example would be if a farmer needed money to buy seeds for their crops. They could go to a Montes Pietatis and give them some of their crops as collateral. The Montes Pietatis would lend them the money they needed, and the farmer would have to pay it back with interest. If they couldn't pay it back, the Montes Pietatis would keep the crops they gave as collateral.

These examples illustrate how Montes Pietatis worked by taking valuable items as collateral and lending money to people who needed it.