Archivio di Stato di Palermo, State archive in central Palermo, Italy.
The Archivio di Stato di Palermo is a state archive in central Palermo that holds extensive collections of civil registers, administrative files, and historical documents. The holdings span from the Norman period onward and include land records, notarial documents, and court files from different eras.
The archive was founded on February 11, 1814, when Sicily underwent administrative reorganization following the Napoleonic period. Its creation was part of a broader reform of governance systems in this part of Italy.
The archive keeps the Tabulario, 6,167 parchment charters mostly from suppressed monasteries across Sicily, including Magione and Martorana. Its oldest paper document is a 1109 letter in Greek and Arabic from Queen Adelasia del Vasto to the viscounts of Castrogiovanni. The Real Cancelleria registers begin in 1299, and the notarial acts of Palermo notaries, 84,145 volumes covering 1323 to 1853, were moved to the Gancia seat in 1859.
Visitors who want to view documents should schedule an appointment in advance and can then access family records, land registers, and notarial documents. It helps to know beforehand what type of documents you are looking for to make your research on site more efficient.
The archive holds military records and court documents that document transitions between different ruling systems in Sicily. These materials show how political upheavals affected administration and justice.
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