Consiglio Collaterale
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
State Archives of Naples
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Piazzetta del Grande Archivio 5, 80138 Naples
Contact information: phone number
0039 0815638111
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
as-na@beniculturali.it
Reference number
Consiglio Collaterale
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Collateral Council
Title (official language of the state)
Consiglio Collaterale
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Consiglio Collaterale
Date(s)
1502/1742
Language(s)
ita
lat
spa
Extent
209 linear metres (3,430 storage units)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Consiglio Collaterale constitutes one of the most important collections for the history of the Kingdom of Naples. It reflects the functioning of the chancellery of the Consiglio, which was responsible for the registration and preservation of the various measures taken by the Viceroy of Naples or sent from Madrid and later Vienna.
The fonds is divided into two series: Cancelleria (Chancellery) and Consiglio (Council). The Cancelleria series includes the registers in which provisions, such as privileges, decrees and others, were recorded. These records are divided according to the object and nature of the provision. The Consiglio series comprises records related to the consultive activity of this body.
This fonds includes some scattered pieces of evidence on the turbulent history of the Jews in Naples and, in particular, on the Iberian Jews who settled there from the late 15th century to the early 1540s. After the banishment of the Jews from Spain in 1492, King Ferdinand protected those who decided to settle in Naples. However, during the French domination in 1495-1510, the persecution against the Jews returned. After Spain had recovered control of the city in 1510, the Jewish settlement was only allowed under the condition of paying an amount of 300 ducati to stay. Those who did not pay it were expelled. The pressure over the Jews increased in the following decades and, in the early 1540s, they left Naples. During these first decades of the 16th century, Naples was the home of a few Sephardic families. It was the case of the Abravanel. Isaac di Giuda Abravanel settled there shortly after the 1492 expulsion, later followed by his brothers Jacob and Joseph Abravanel. A record preserved in the Partium series (Cancelleria sub-fonds) recorded a credit of 4,000 ducati that Leticia Abravanel had to the Spanish court, as a result of the trade activity of her late husband, Joseph Abravanel (vol. 16, fols. 189-190, August 28, 1543). This document is published in Griffi 1997.
The fonds is divided into two series: Cancelleria (Chancellery) and Consiglio (Council). The Cancelleria series includes the registers in which provisions, such as privileges, decrees and others, were recorded. These records are divided according to the object and nature of the provision. The Consiglio series comprises records related to the consultive activity of this body.
This fonds includes some scattered pieces of evidence on the turbulent history of the Jews in Naples and, in particular, on the Iberian Jews who settled there from the late 15th century to the early 1540s. After the banishment of the Jews from Spain in 1492, King Ferdinand protected those who decided to settle in Naples. However, during the French domination in 1495-1510, the persecution against the Jews returned. After Spain had recovered control of the city in 1510, the Jewish settlement was only allowed under the condition of paying an amount of 300 ducati to stay. Those who did not pay it were expelled. The pressure over the Jews increased in the following decades and, in the early 1540s, they left Naples. During these first decades of the 16th century, Naples was the home of a few Sephardic families. It was the case of the Abravanel. Isaac di Giuda Abravanel settled there shortly after the 1492 expulsion, later followed by his brothers Jacob and Joseph Abravanel. A record preserved in the Partium series (Cancelleria sub-fonds) recorded a credit of 4,000 ducati that Leticia Abravanel had to the Spanish court, as a result of the trade activity of her late husband, Joseph Abravanel (vol. 16, fols. 189-190, August 28, 1543). This document is published in Griffi 1997.
Archival history
After the extinction of the Consiglio Collaterale, its archive became under the custody of the Real Camera di Santa Chiara. When the Real Camera's archive was transferred to the new Archivio Generale del Regno in 1812, during the French period, the Consiglio Collaterale records also followed this transference. In 1845, the renamed Grande Archivio di Napoli was relocated from its headquarters in Castelcapuano to the former monastery of SS. Severino e Sossio.
These successive transfers of the Consiglio Collaterale records led to some confusion with other fonds and the dispersion of documentation.
Other events also caused even more considerable losses. During the Second World War, the Archivio di Napoli's collections, including the Consiglio Collaterale, were seriously damaged. The Privilegiorum series was completely destroyed.
These successive transfers of the Consiglio Collaterale records led to some confusion with other fonds and the dispersion of documentation.
Other events also caused even more considerable losses. During the Second World War, the Archivio di Napoli's collections, including the Consiglio Collaterale, were seriously damaged. The Privilegiorum series was completely destroyed.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Consiglio Collaterale was established by King Ferdinand the Catholic in 1507. It was headed by the Viceroy of Naples and composed of two regents (whose number grew later), the Segretario del regno (secretary of the Kingdom) and two private secretaries of the Viceroy. The Collaterale assumed the government in the case of death or absence of the Viceroy. It represented the sovereign in all the most important decisions and exercised consultive functions. The Collaterale had the Cancelleria del regno (chancellery of the kingdom), a court, and a secretariat managed by its own secretary, independent of the secretariats of the Viceroy. It also included about 20 "consiglieri di Stato e di Guerra" (councilors of State and War) elected by the sovereign. The "consiglieri", together with the regents of the chancellery and headed by the Viceroy, constituted the Consiglio Collaterale pieno (Full Collateral Council), called to deal with the most important affairs of government. The Consiglio Collaterale ordinario (Ordinary Collateral Council) could be convened independently of the councilors. It was supressed on June 7, 1735, and replaced by the Camera di S. Chiara.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Finding aids
Numerous finding aids of various series of this fonds are available in the Archivio di Stato di Napoli.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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