Fondo storico diocesano
Item
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Country
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IT
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Name of institution (English)
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Archiepiscopal Archive of Siena
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Language of name of institution
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ita
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Contact information: postal address
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Via dei Fusari 15, 53100 Siena
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Contact information: phone number
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0039 057743268
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Contact information: email
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archivio@arcidiocesi.siena.it
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Reference number
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Fondo storico diocesano
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Title (English)
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Historical Diocesan Fonds
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Title (official language of the state)
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Fondo storico diocesano
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Language of title
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ita
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Creator / accumulator
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Curia arcivescovile di Siena
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Date note
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11th century/20th century
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Language(s)
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lat
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ita
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Extent
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c. 11,000 storage units (the whole Curia arcivescovile di Siena fonds)
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Type of material
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Textual Material
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Scope and content
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The Fondo storico diocesano is part of the Curia arcivescovile di Siena archive, which also includes other fonds, namely: the Fondo storico del Capitolo della Metropolitana; the Fondo delle parrocchie soppresse e in essere (suppressed and exiting parishes fonds) and the Fondo dell’Opera di Santa Maria in Provenzano.
Some evidence on the relations between the Jewish community of Siena and Catholic Church institutions can be found dispersed among records of this fonds. Nardo Bonomi Braverman identified some documents related to the request made by the Spanish Jews in 1658 to open a new synagogue in Siena. This request faced opposition from the Italian Jews and the archbishop, who ordered the Spanish Jews to use the old synagogue (Cause civili). In 1657, the parish priest of San Martino, where the ghetto was located, compiled a census of the Jewish residents in Siena, which is also part of this collection (Stati d'Anime, 2808 (1657)).
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Archival history
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The first reference to the documents of the Fondo storico diocesano is in a document regarding a dispute on the borders of the dioceses of Siena and Arezzo between the 8th and 9th centuries. Until the construction of the Palazzo vescovile, the archive followed the various archbishops to their private and family homes. These displacements caused a loss of documents. After the conclusion of the Palazzo vescovile, the archive was placed there.
The first known organisation of the archive was undertaken in 1816, during the time of Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Felice Zondadari (1740-1823). In 1840, it was continued and improved under the government of Archbishop Giuseppe Mancini (1777-1855). However, in the following years, the documentation was disordered and, to remedy this situation, Archbishop Giovanni Pierallini (1817-1888, arch. Siena, 1876-1888) commissioned the priest Carapelli and the canon Lusini to rearrange the parchments preserved in the archive.
Then, the documentary material was divided as follows: diplomatic fonds (consisting of 748 parchments, from the 16th to the 19th centuries), pastoral visits (1409-1941), civil and criminal cases (1348-1951), documentation related to assets (1580-1836), benefits (14th century-1958), parishes (16th-20th centuries), chapels (16th century-1901), seminary (1666-1960), obligations and donations (1624-1942), indulgences (1568-1872), confirmations (1576-1899), economic and administrative affairs (1500-1950), relics and images of saints (1634-1942), beatification and canonisation cases (1606-1951), matrimonies (1501-1960), clergy (1426-1960), religious orders (16th-20th centuries), works and companies (17th-20th centuries), hospitals and charities (16th-20th centuries) and other miscellaneous materials, including notarial records (1409-1686), parish books, etc.
During the First World War, Archbishop Prospero Scaccia (1857-1932, arch. Siena 1909-1932) transferred a part of the archive to the Archivio Vaticano, since he feared for its security. As a result of these transferences, many old documents belonging to the Curia arcivescovile di Siena are currently part of the Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati di Siena and the Archivio di Stato di Siena collections.
In the 1980s, after the suppression of the dioceses of Colle Val d'Elsa and Montalcino, their archival fonds were merged into the Archivio arcivescovile di Siena.
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(source: SIUSA Curia arcivescovile di Siena)
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Administrative / Biographical history
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The first evidence of the diocese of Siena dates back to 306, at the time of bishop Lucifer. In 465, bishop Eusebio of Siena was present at the Roman Synod. The disputes between the dioceses of Siena and Arezzo in the 7th century ended with a compromise between both bishops, in which bishop Mauro took control of up to 18 parish churches in the Sienese territory.
In the 11th century, the Cathedral Chapter was established and gradually grew in importance. The canons lived in community, were responsible for the liturgical services in the Cathedral and taught in a canon school.
The episcopate of Enea Silvio Piccolomini (1405-1464, arch. Siena, 1450-1458), later Pope Pius II, was decisive for the history of the church of Siena. During this period, more precisely in 1459, Siena was elevated to an archdiocese and metropolitan. The Seminary was established in 1614. Later, in 1666, it was transferred from the church of San Desiderio to the church of San Giorgio.
In the 20th century, the territory under the archdiocese of Siena jurisdiction expanded after incorporating the territories of Chiusdino and Monticiano from Volterra and Asciano from Arezzo.
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(source: SIUSA Curia arcivescovile di Siena)
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Author of the description
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Carla Vieira, 2022
