The Scuole Grandi — or the Great Schools — were Venetian medieval charities which due to their wealth became important institutions
“Inquisitori alle Scuole Grandi” from the Lessico Veneto (1851) by Fabio Mutinelli, translated by René Seindal.
The ancient Venetians used the word scola or scuola to mean a guild, a confraternity or a charity. The scuole were generally not educational institutions.