Caius Cilnius Maecenas, minister and advisor to Emperor Augustus, was a close confidant of the emperor and a member of the Etruscan nobility. Thanks to his wealth, he was able to forgo a political career and dedicate himself to his passion for horsemanship. He played a supportive and protective role for artists and intellectuals such as Horace, Virgil, Propertius, and many others. It was Montaigne who first brought him to prominence under the name Maecenas, a term that has since become synonymous with his work.

Patronage, a vehicle for institutional communication, involves a discreet financial and/or technical contribution to cultural, scientific, social, or public interest initiatives. This support aims to maintain or enhance the image of the sponsoring company in the medium to long term. Unlike sponsorship, patronage is fundamentally philanthropic in its essence. It is defined as a service rendered to the community.

Sylvère Piquet distinguishes between pure patronage and corporate (or industrial) patronage, emphasizing that the former is always an act of genuine generosity. This characteristic sets it apart from more self-serving forms of action. Compared to sponsorship, patronage is distinguished by a more altruistic generosity, with less stringent expectations of results. The Association for the Development of Industrial and Commercial Patronage (A.D.M.I.C.A.L.) offers resources and advice on this subject.