This book explores and traces the progressive activism and radical ideas of several elite women in Italy beginning in the early 20th century. It discusses the shared political culture that shaped the thinking and the activity of these women, mainly oriented towards political philanthropy and...

1.The Political Philanthropy of the Female Elites -- Part I: A Women’s Network in Early 20th Century Italy -- 2.Harriet Lathrop Dunham alias Etta de Viti de Marco -- 3.Alice Hallgarten Franchetti: A Woman Beyond Barriers -- 4.Cora Slocomb Savorgnan di Brazzà. An Artisan of Peace and Social...

Chapter 1. Italian women of the past: their economic culture and actions (Manuela Mosca) -- Part I. Women in business -- Chapter 2. Isabella De Mari Doria, a female investor and gambler in the Genoese aristocracy (Antonio Iodice) -- Chapter 3. Women and business: fresh evidence from the probate...