Historical Archives of the City of Genoa
Historical Archives of the City of Genoa
The Archivio Storico del Comune di Genova (Historical Archives of the City of Genoa) keeps the documents of the City’s administration from the 15th century to the first fifty years of the 20th century.
The most ancient section includes the documentation of the Offices that took care of administration and provisioning of the town (15th-18th centuries) at the time of the Republic of Genoa: Padri del Comune, Censori, Abbondanza, Provvisori del Vino. Other considerable series are the documents of the Administrations that came after the fall of the Ancient Republic (1797) up until World War II (1945), that is the Administration under the Repubblica Ligure, under the French domination (1805-1814), the restauration of the Republic of Genoa (1814), the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy.
Next to this documentation there are the historical archives of Stato Civile (marital status): books of birth, marriage and death (1792-1814 and 1828-1854), the books of four Censuses of the population of the town during the 19th century (1808, 1827, 1856, 1871), the books of military conscription starting from the time of Napoleon to 1910. The Historical Archives of the City of Genoa also include a very important collection of manuscripts (15th-18th centuries) dealing with the genoese history, a small part (384) of the manuscripts coming from the Brignole Sale Library and a collection of autographes. In addition there are the Brignole Sale (16th-19th centuries) and De Ferrari (15th-19th centuries) families’ Archives, and the Archives of the ancient poverty hospice: the Albergo dei Poveri (16th-19th centuries).
Regardingthe documentationrelating tourban developmentand residential areaof particular significancein the modern age there are thefollowingdocumentary collections:
-Padri del Comune (Father of the City), the Office (or judiciary) originated in the thirteenth century with the name of Salvatores Portus et Moduli and provide for the task of managing, maintaining and developing the landing Genoa. The importance of that office for the economy is attested by a decree of 1459, by which they were delegated about the care of each activity useful to the port, that was one of the main sewers of the surveillance, the brooks and streams that flowed into the port, to oversee the flow of mud, dirt and debris in order to prevent the burial, which was joined by the care and control of the aqueduct that carried water to the city water works, thanks to boldengineering works. Since the beginning of the fifteenth century - which was given to the records kept at the Municipal Archives - City of the Fathers dealt with the paving and maintenance of streets and squares, the streets cleaning of debris and trash, the supervision of buildings unsafe, and demolition of the illegal occupation of public land (outside stairs, gutters and eaves too prominent, exhibitions of the shops) which might make impassable the already narrow roads, and lack of air and light to the height of the houses. In addition, with specific provisions on smoke emissions from chimneys, the craftsmanship pollutants (ex. tanning leather and dyeing of fabrics), the activity of pharmacists and doctors protected the environment and public health.
Among their tasks was including the regulation and management, through contractors, of the public brothel, located in Montalbano (at the foot of the little castle), an important source of funding. At the same time in the rich documentation of the Magistrate there are also echoes of the sumptuary laws, namely the numerous restrictive rules regarding marriage (ceremony, dresses, banquets, etc.) Up to the prohibition of giving the couple jewelery (iocalia), precious stones, gold and silver.
The archive includes 1249 units of the years 1412-1797. Thearchival seriescalled"public practice" has been fully digitalizedand is availableon PC.
-The plans ofGenoa,from the lighthousetoBisagno, the years1868 to 1925. .446andconstruction projectsfrom 1926 to 1941, relating to the territoryof the Big Genoa,includingthe nineteenmunicipalitiesannexedin Genoa in1926.
-Documents relatingto theCemeteryof Staglieno (nineteenth century), includingoverone thousand seven hundreddrawingsfor themonumental cemeteryburialsStaglieno, performed byartistsactivein Genoain latenineteenth andearly twentieth century,a large collectionandmapping, relativeto the wholerangewithin the borders ofpresent-dayGenoa.
-Collection of the weightS and measures OF GENOA
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The Archivio Storico del Comune di Genova also houses the collection of weights and measuresadopted in Genoa before the introduction of the metric system, after the annexation to the French Empire (1805).
It includes all the units of measure used during different historical periods (the most ancient dates back to the 15th century) by the Censori, the ancient magistracy that monitored illegal commodities, wholesale and retail trade, production by craftsmen, with detailed regulations and the power to punish abuses, as the ancient documents testify. To defend their integrity from 1523 the standard measures and weights used as prototypes and in case of legal controversies were kept in the sacristy of SanLorenzo’s Cathedral.
As of in March 2005 a selection of standard measures and weightswill be displayed to the public in Palazzo Tursi (Musei di Strada Nuova), beside the numismatics collection.
Services offered
Assistance andexpert advicehere.
Catalogingof the majorfunds.
Guided tours andeducational activities forschools at all levels.
Workshops andinternshipsfor studentsofhigh schools, universitiesand Master, Italianand foreign ones.
Information andcontacts
See.The Historical Archiveof the Municipalityof Genoais locatedin the east wingof the Ducal Palacewhere he wastransferredin 1994, following the major restorationthat returnedto the city inall its splendor the historicbuilding, theoriginal coreof thewhich dates backto the second fifty years of the thirteenthcentury
Visiting hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9,00 to 12,30 and from 14,00 to 17,00 by appointment
Note: by the Italian law the consultation ofhistorical archives and the archives of public administration are free.
The historical archives keep documents of more than 40 years
Address: Piazza Matteotti, 10 - Palazzo Ducale
16123 Genova
Tel. 010 5574808 - Fax 010 5574823
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