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Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum

(Vatican Secret Archives) - Vatican City State

The modern archives of the Holy See were founded by Paul V (1605-1621) approximately in the year 1610 at its current location. The records which formed the primary nucleus of the Vatican Secret Archives were the Registra Vaticana (since Innocent III, 1198-1216), one of the major sources for European history, particularly for the 13th and 14th centuries. Other archival records were taken from the Vatican Library, the papal vestiarium, Castel Sant'Angelo and the Apostolic Chamber. After the end of World War I, the archives of the Holy Roman Rota, the archives of the Congregation of the Councils and Rites, the archives of the Holy Apostolic Palace, the archives of the first Vatican Council and then of the second Vatican Council, the archives of the pontifical representation at different European states, the archives of some noble families and other small collections of documents were also deposited in the Vatican archives. In 1880 Leo XIII made the decision of open the papal archives for research and the Vatican archives became the most important institution for historical research in the world.

The pope serves as head of the archives along with the Cardinal Archivist of the Holy Roman Church, the Prefect and the Vice-Prefect. The staff's duties are varied and divided into: scientific and didactic activities, secretarial work and administration, technical services with four laboratories (restoration of documents and binding of books, restoration and reproduction of seals, new information technology workshop, photography and photographical reproduction) and assistance and supervision in the reading-rooms. At roughly the same time of the opening of the archives Leo XIII founded the Scuola di Paleografia, Diplomatica e Archivistica at the Pontifical Vatican Archives.

Contact: Paolo D'alessandro
Web site: http://www.vatican.va/library_archives/vat_secret_archives/index_it.htm

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