Located in downtown Milano inside a former Franciscan convent that dates back to the 1500s (with its four splendid, well-preserved cloisters and dining hall, Hall of the Frescoes), Società Umanitaria is one of the city’s historical social support institutions. It was founded in 1893 thanks to a bequest by Moisè Loria, a Milanese arts patron originally from Mantova, who attributed to the adjective “humanitarian” not merely assistance and charity, but concrete efforts to promote education and job-related interests. For over a century the society has been actively engaged in social initiatives and struggles, standing by the weakest and neediest, combining assistance and work, social commitment and education, progress and training, emancipation and culture. Today the aim continues to be the intellectual and moral elevation of citizens through action in professional training and intense social and cultural activity. The society is committed locally and promotes multi-disciplinary summer theater and cinema series, historical exhibitions, concert series, conferences and seminars, publications regarding the society’s history, as well as a series of youth promotion activities and scholarships – one of which is for young musicians from the Italian Higher Education Institutes of Lombardia and the Historical Academies of Fine Arts. Since 2008 Società Umanitaria has been a member of Milano’s Six Historical Training Institutes.