History

The Monte De Piedad movement started in Italy in the 15th century as a non profitable institution, which expanded to other countries in Europe; Spain among them in 1702. From there it reached our territory in the 18th century.

The “Sacro y Real Monte de Piedad de Ánimas” (Sacred, Royal Souls’ Mercy Mount) was opened by the Count of Santa María de Regla, Don Pedro Romero de Terreros with his own resources on February 25, 1775.  300 thousand gold pesos were used for the purpose of starting this charity task.

The Catholic Church leaders directed a mass in which important personalities of the Spanish Crown and the society of that time witnessed the opening of this important institution.  Next, Juan Carabantes was the first person to pawn a diamond dresser. He received 40 gold pesos as a loan and could redeem it in August. He gave 8 Reales as a donation for the poor.

Within the first year of operation, Nacional Monte de Piedad had made 17 thousand pawn loans, which were equivalent to one quarter of Mexico City’s population in that time.

Nowadays this Two hundred- year- old Institution supports one quarter of this country’s families, making an average of 24 million pawn contracts every  year and receiving each month around 33 million items through its offices all over the country.

Colonial Period

The most important part of this project for the founder, Don Pedro, was to build a non profitable pawn shop with the main goal of helping the needed people through pawn loans; that is why he asked the Spanish Crown for an authorization to establish the later called “Sacro y Real Monte de Piedad de Ánimas”.

Thus the Spanish King, Carlos III, approved this organization’s establishment in a Royal Warrant dispatched on June 2, 1774.

Carlos III ordered the Viceroy to determine what was necessary to get an appropriate house where the institution could be set, to assign the employees resources and to announce the necessary orders for an appropriate management of this foundation and the careful administration of its funds. These orders were accomplished effectively by Don Antonio María de Bucareli, who accounted for these activities to the Royal Audience that was a Supreme Tribunal of Justice besides being a government authority and a Viceroy Council.

Months later, and to answer that Royal Warrant, the Viceroy, Don Antonio María de Bucareli y Urzúa, told the royal officers to keep everything organized and safe.

The King appointed Pedro Páez de la Cadena as the Supervisor of the Royal Customs of Mexico, to dictate the statutes of the “Sacro y Real Monte de Piedad de Ánimas” with the intervention of the Ministers’ Board and other citizens designated by the Viceroy.

Independence Period

By the time Mexico’s Independence was completed in 1821, the “Nacional Monte de Piedad” had been working for 46 years as a pawn shop helping the families through monetary loans in exchange of items.

As this pawn shop and charity institution remained open during these hard times for the society in the history of the country, it was one of the few choices the population had to get financial assistance for their families. Due to these financial supports through pawn loans given by this great institution, many people could carry out their life plans.

It was after this period that the “Real y Sacro Monte de Piedad de Ánimas” began to be called Nacional Monte de Piedad.

In 1836, the Nacional Monte de Piedad bought a house located in 7 and 8 Empedradillo Street. This operation was carried out by Don Lucas Alamán, the representative of Monteleone Duke who was Hernan Cortés’ heir.
In the prehispanic period this location was occupied by Moctezuma de Axayácatl’s home, and today it houses the head offices of the institution.

Revolution Period

At the beginning of the 20th century the country was thrown into confusion again. A new war started in 1910: The Mexican Revolution War.
As very few jobs were available for the people who had to fulfill their necessities, the Monte de Piedad had an important role again in this society helping with loans.

The stability and the confidence built on trust, has always given an important place to this Noble Assistance Institution in difficult periods of the society.

Thousands of families were able to put up with the difficulties of this historic period due to the financial support offered by the Monte de Piedad, which never closed its doors in spite of the political problems of the moment. Today we cannot imagine Mexico without the Nacional Monte de Piedad.

Post revolutionary period

Having overcome the social and thus the economic troubles of the revolutionary period, the Nacional Monte de Piedad became one of the everyday financing centers available to every group in the society.

The pawn and the social welfare services offered by this institution provide now the solution for the economic difficulties of a great number of citizens, many of whom can start a new business with the help of this type of financial aid.

In the latest years, the Nacional Monte de Piedad has increased significantly the number of service centers or offices, which are spread all over the country.

Nacional Monte de Piedad is a one hundred percent Mexican institution, with Mexican employees, but, above all, it is an institution that has been helping Mexican people for 234 years.

234 years after its foundation

The Nacional Monte de Piedad is a non profitable Private Social Welfare Institution which has its own legal personality. It has the goals of offering support to the Mexican society through pawn loans, as well as assistance to the weak groups of the society.

Today it has 150 offices throughout Mexico. Due to this solid infrastructure, the institution is now able to help more than 7 million families and has been able to assign resources of 19 billion* pesos in 2009 to meet their needs.

In regard to its social welfare activities, the institution provides financial assistance to about 450 private social welfare institutions having given them more than 2 billion pesos in donations in the last 10 years.