Archivio Centrale dello Stato

The origin of the Central State Archive (Archivio Centrale dello Stato) dates back to 1875 when, by the Royal Decree of 25 May n. 2552, the Kingdom’s Archives were founded for the purpose of keeping those records deriving from central ministries that were no longer required for ordinary business, as well as the original copies of decrees and laws, the vital records of the Casa Savoia (the Italian royal family) and the heraldry register. The Central State Archive however, remained for a long time an institution without complete autonomy: the headquarters, document management and administrative direction were in fact shared with the State Archive of Rome. The situation remained unchanged until the aftermath of World War II when the institution started to make its way to an independent institution in a permanent location. The full autonomy of the Institute was sanctioned in 1953 with the law of April 13, no. 340: it was officially renamed the Central State Archive and the distinction made by the State Archives of Rome, and was placed on the official director of the Institute with the highest grade archival administration. In 2008, the Central State Archive became an institution with special autonomy under the Ministry of Heritage and Culture (Presidential Decree of 26 November 2007 n. 233 and DM of 7 October 2008 ) acquiring scientific , financial, organisational and accounting autonomy. 

After the entry into force of the law of the Italian Goverment n° 124 (17th August, 2017), every scholar is allowed to take photos of the documents kept into every State Archive of Italy, with personal equipment and without paying, for non-profit purposes, although some documents might be excluded, due to privacy or conservative policies. Scholars are required to fill out a specific form every time they take photos of the documents. 

The archival holding of the Central State Archive consist of 110 km. The archive keeps documentation produced by the central state organs, archives received from public institutions of national importance and archives received from individuals. The State Archives holds about fifty archives of public and private institutions, and approximately two hundred and fifty personal archives of politicians (including Agostino Depretis, Francesco Crispi, Giovanni Giolitti, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Ferruccio Parri, Ugo La Malfa, Pietro Nenni) and culture figures, in particular architects (as Luigi Moretti, Mario Paniconi, Giulio Pediconi, Riccardo Morandi, Plinio Marconi, Gaetano Minnucci, Giuliana Genta), whose documentation are important for historical research. 

It is forbidden to take bags, briefcases, newspapers, document cases or other containers into the Reading Room. These items must be left in lockers assigned to each researcher by the Reception Office, which can be found upon entry into the building. Exceptions are made for a small transparent bag or folder which can, if necessary, be brought into the Reading Room. The Direction retains the right to inspect any personal items brought into or taken out of the Archives. Video surveillance is in operation in areas used by researchers. Upon entering the Reading Room researchers must first legibly sign the register at the front desk. For each calendar year and for each research topic, researchers must also fill out a Request of Access Form available at the front desk in the Reading Room. The complete rules for the use of the reading room are available [here](www.acs.beniculturali.it/getFile.php?id=676).