Company of Charity

COMPAGNIA DELLA CARITÀ. - Established in Rome on 1 Jan. 1519 by Card. Giulio de' Medici, it soon counted among its members cardinals, prelates of the Curia, merchants, and other officials, who were attached to the church of S. Andrea in Arenula, with the aim of providing for the ashamed poor, prisoners, and wretches of every condition. The C. took special care of the monastery of the Convertite. On 28 Jan. 1520, as the number of adherents had already increased, Card. de' Medici erected it into an archconfraternity; having become pope under the name of Clemente VII, he granted his confraternity the church of S. Girolamo, hitherto served by the Observant Franciscans, which accordingly took the name of S. Girolamo della Carità and began to be served by twelve chaplains. It had a cardinal protector and survived even the sack of 1527, which interrupted the activity of so many charitable works. S. Filippo Neri was later for many years a guest at S. Girolamo della Carità.