Cosmopolitanism and Transculturality in the Habsburg Empire: The Art-Loving and Charitable Ladies of Sinas Family

The family of Sinas were very rich people and they were thought of as tycoons in the Habsburg Empire. A number of them were engaged with charities to homeland and dealt with business. Overall, their case shows that the female presence in the Greek communities abroad maintained ties with homeland through religious affinity and commonly shared cultural traits. The present chapter studies the Maecenas family of Sinas who were great benefactors. It particularly explores life, charity activities, interests and the social status of its female members. It also aspires to explore the common ancestry as well as the shared cultural traits and the interculturality that formulated the international web of the Greek diaspora people of wealth who traded in Europe. Religious affinity was the embedded characteristic of the rich diaspora merchant people of Greek origin being the bond that served as a fundamental force that brought them close. The other one was cosmopolitanism.