Labor Corporations as Social Welfare Bodies in Castile, 12th-15th Centuries

Medieval labor guilds encompassed various forms of mutual aid in their coverage, including health, accident, widowhood, orphanage, old age, and poverty insurance. They also addressed situations typical of commercial insurance, such as bankruptcy, theft, assault, and captivity. These provisions included private and family actions (like organizing burials and funerals) and maintained a pious character through charitable and benevolent activities. Not all guilds offered the same level of protection; thus, this paper will examine exceptional cases where labor formations guaranteed their members a high degree of mutualistic commitment.