Foundations of banking origin are one of the organisations in the "third sector" that have the greatest chance of playing a major role in Italian society. This phenomenon first saw the light of day with the transformation of Italy's banking system, which began with the 1990 ‘Amato-Carli' law. The creation of foundations has led to a number of dilemmas over the past ten years, referring to a legal and regulatory process which, after moments of uncertainty, decided to separate foundations from the banks they originated from. The sole focus on the foundation-bank relationship has now given way somewhat to an in-depth reflection on the tasks of foundations in Italy and in Europe. Today's dilemmas can be summed with the question: "Philanthropy: rediscovery or imposition?". In this book, a sort of diary describing the various stages of the history of these foundations, a number of answers are put forward in response to this question.