Comune di Ancona
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
State Archives of Ancona
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Via Alessandro Maggini 80, 60127 Ancona
Contact information: phone number
0039 0712800356
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
as-an@beniculturali.it
Reference number
Comune di Ancona
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Municipality of Ancona
Title (official language of the state)
Comune di Ancona
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Comune di Ancona
Date note
1345/1954
Language(s)
ita
lat
Extent
7,372 storage units (5,963 folders, 813 files, 26 bundles, and 570 parchments)
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Comune di Ancona fonds comprises various documentation produced by or related to the Municipality of Ancona. Records prior to the 19th century are organised into the following series: Libri del comune e scritture della cancelleria pubblica (books of the municipality and records of the public chancellery); Atti di ufficiali e magistrature comunali diverse (acts of various municipal officers and magistratures); Amministrazione economica (economic administration); Atti giudiziari residuali delle curie del Vicario pontificio, del Podestà di Ancona e di corti speciali (judicial acts of the curiae of the pontifical vicar, the Podestà of Ancona and special courts); Carteggi tematici Albertini e Ciavarini (thematic correspondence); and Diplomatico (diplomatic records). The Comune di Ancona also includes a subfonds, the Podestà di Ancona, composed of six folders with 14th- to 16th-century fragmentary records produced by the Podestà.
The Jewish community of Ancona, one of the oldest and most important Italian Jewish communities, increased in the first half of the 16th century with the arrival of Iberian exiles. This fonds holds significant pieces of evidence on the vitality of this community.
For instance, H. Rosenberg (1935) published an extract of the Atti Consigli, containing a report of the Comune di Ancona on November 8, 1549, regarding a deal with a consortium of Portuguese Jews to settle a bank in the city. The Portuguese Jews were represented by Dr Francisco Barbosa, Isaac Robes, Dr Carano, Joseph Brudo and Abraham Papo. A copy of this document can be found in another file of this collection: filze 2776, fasc. Ebrei Ghetto sec. XVI. Another document dated from January 11, 1551, reports the negotiations undertaken by the representative of the Portuguese Jews in Rome, Rafaele Graziani, in order to obtain the papal license to open the bank (filze 660).
The golden age of the Jewish community of Ancona lasted until the mid-16th century. In 1555, Pope Paul IV issued a bull forcing Ancona Jews to convert to Christianity. Twenty-four Jews who refused to obey ended up being murdered, an episode that caused deep turmoil among the Sephardic diaspora. Two letters of the Carteggi tematici Albertini e Ciavarini series, also published by H. Rosenberg (1935), reflect the reaction of the Ottoman empire to the 1555 events. One, dated from March 5, 1556, is addressed by the French consul Zambapta Benderio and reports the discontent of Sultan Rustam Pacià with the imprisonment of Gracia Nasi's agents in Ancona, and demanding their immediate release. In the following month, the sultan addressed another letter to the governor of Ancona, stressing his demands (Ms Albertini Vol. XI/2 Ad. pp. 7b, 18a).
The Jewish community of Ancona, one of the oldest and most important Italian Jewish communities, increased in the first half of the 16th century with the arrival of Iberian exiles. This fonds holds significant pieces of evidence on the vitality of this community.
For instance, H. Rosenberg (1935) published an extract of the Atti Consigli, containing a report of the Comune di Ancona on November 8, 1549, regarding a deal with a consortium of Portuguese Jews to settle a bank in the city. The Portuguese Jews were represented by Dr Francisco Barbosa, Isaac Robes, Dr Carano, Joseph Brudo and Abraham Papo. A copy of this document can be found in another file of this collection: filze 2776, fasc. Ebrei Ghetto sec. XVI. Another document dated from January 11, 1551, reports the negotiations undertaken by the representative of the Portuguese Jews in Rome, Rafaele Graziani, in order to obtain the papal license to open the bank (filze 660).
The golden age of the Jewish community of Ancona lasted until the mid-16th century. In 1555, Pope Paul IV issued a bull forcing Ancona Jews to convert to Christianity. Twenty-four Jews who refused to obey ended up being murdered, an episode that caused deep turmoil among the Sephardic diaspora. Two letters of the Carteggi tematici Albertini e Ciavarini series, also published by H. Rosenberg (1935), reflect the reaction of the Ottoman empire to the 1555 events. One, dated from March 5, 1556, is addressed by the French consul Zambapta Benderio and reports the discontent of Sultan Rustam Pacià with the imprisonment of Gracia Nasi's agents in Ancona, and demanding their immediate release. In the following month, the sultan addressed another letter to the governor of Ancona, stressing his demands (Ms Albertini Vol. XI/2 Ad. pp. 7b, 18a).
Archival history
From 1879 to 1888, the municipal archive of Ancona was rearranged by Carisio Ciavarini, the secretary of the Commissione conservatrice dei monumenti delle Marche. In 1909, part of the previously compiled inventory was published by Ernesto Spadolini. This organisation remained unchanged in the following years, though Palermo Giangiacomi added other small documentary collections to the fonds.
In 1925, the archive was transferred to the former convent of San Francesco alle Scale, where the Biblioteca Civica was also located. The bombings of 1943-44 seriously damaged the building, but the archive was still there in 1949 when the municipal administration entrusted its restoration work to Giuseppe Angelini Rota. Then, Angelini Rota found the consistency of the documentary material in about 6,000 pieces, which he gathered in bundles marked with a new order number following the random reorganisation of the records. Therefore, the 19th-century arrangement was then withdrawn.
The archive was transferred to the facilities of the new municipal library, inaugurated in 1950. It remained there until the earthquake of 1972 when it was relocated to the Archivio di Stato di Ancona. Between 2006 and 2015, the documentation relating to the ancient regime (prior to the 19th century) was subject to a reorganisation, which resulted in the production of several finding aids currently consultable in the archive (see Finding Aids).
In 1925, the archive was transferred to the former convent of San Francesco alle Scale, where the Biblioteca Civica was also located. The bombings of 1943-44 seriously damaged the building, but the archive was still there in 1949 when the municipal administration entrusted its restoration work to Giuseppe Angelini Rota. Then, Angelini Rota found the consistency of the documentary material in about 6,000 pieces, which he gathered in bundles marked with a new order number following the random reorganisation of the records. Therefore, the 19th-century arrangement was then withdrawn.
The archive was transferred to the facilities of the new municipal library, inaugurated in 1950. It remained there until the earthquake of 1972 when it was relocated to the Archivio di Stato di Ancona. Between 2006 and 2015, the documentation relating to the ancient regime (prior to the 19th century) was subject to a reorganisation, which resulted in the production of several finding aids currently consultable in the archive (see Finding Aids).
Administrative / Biographical history
In the 10th century, the city of Ancona was already governed by a committee headed by a "comes" with the assistance of various judges. However, it was only at the end of the 12th century that Ancona consolidated its municipal autonomy. At this time, the office of the Podestà was introduced in the city. He centralised the government of public affairs, the command of the city militias at time of war and the administration of justice. The municipal statutes determined that the Podestà must be a foreigner and remain in office for six months. This form of government lasted until the third decade of the 16th century when the Podestà was replaced by a governor-general, who represented the central power and the papal dominion.
The municipal administrative organisation remained almost unchanged until the Napoleonic occupation. It was headed by a Consiglio generale (general council), the highest assembly body composed of members of the Ancona's nobility. It had the power to determine and reform the municipal statutes, control the political and civil administration, and appoint its officers and deputies. Another municipal body was the Consiglio speciale (special council), an assembly with the task of examining in advance the affairs to be discussed in the Consiglio generale. The Anziani (elders), a supreme magistracy composed of six councillors, exercised the executive power, assisted by the Collegio dei regulatores (college of regulators). The regulatores were responsible for the most important deeds of the Comune, the liquidation of salary provisions, the examination of extraordinary payments and expense documentation, and the convocation of city officers. Individual officers and other collegiate bodies, with their own notaries, scribes and employees, dedicated themselves to all sorts of public affairs.
The city of Ancona was the centre of an administrative structure that comprised numerous lands and castles, some of which are now included in the municipality of Ancona and others are autonomous municipalities.
The municipal administrative organisation remained almost unchanged until the Napoleonic occupation. It was headed by a Consiglio generale (general council), the highest assembly body composed of members of the Ancona's nobility. It had the power to determine and reform the municipal statutes, control the political and civil administration, and appoint its officers and deputies. Another municipal body was the Consiglio speciale (special council), an assembly with the task of examining in advance the affairs to be discussed in the Consiglio generale. The Anziani (elders), a supreme magistracy composed of six councillors, exercised the executive power, assisted by the Collegio dei regulatores (college of regulators). The regulatores were responsible for the most important deeds of the Comune, the liquidation of salary provisions, the examination of extraordinary payments and expense documentation, and the convocation of city officers. Individual officers and other collegiate bodies, with their own notaries, scribes and employees, dedicated themselves to all sorts of public affairs.
The city of Ancona was the centre of an administrative structure that comprised numerous lands and castles, some of which are now included in the municipality of Ancona and others are autonomous municipalities.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Only the documentation from the ancient regime (before the 19th century) is arranged.
Finding aids
Upublished finding aids available in the archive:
"Comune di Ancona. Editti, bandi, notificazioni, decreti ed avvisi. Elenco". 1956. Inventory (no. 32).
Bellagamba, Velia. 1999-2000. "Comune di Ancona. Delibere consiliari. Elenco". Catalogue (no. 27)
Bellagamba, Velia. 1999-2000. "Comune di Ancona. Delibere di giunta. Elenco". Catalogue (no. 27).
Domenichini, Roberto. 2000. "Comune di Ancona. Registri di popolazione. Elenco". Catalogue
Galeazzi, Pamela. 2007. "Comune di Ancona. Indice delle pergamene, a cura di Jessica Forani, regestazione". Index of parchments (no. 28).
Giacomini, Carlo. 2012-25. "Comune di Ancona. Antico regime. Inventario. Analytical inventory" (no. 26).
Orlandi, Gianni. 1999. "Comune di Ancona. Carte del podestà. Inventario". Summary inventory (no. 62).
Published finding aids:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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