The Study Room

Sala di studio

Person in Charge: Dr. Stella Leprai

Located on the second floor of the historical palazzo Carmi , near the municipal theatres, the study room offers access to disabled people. Inside it is possible to consult the archive collections which are stored in the two bases of the Record Office: the main one in Palazzo Carmi and the secondary one in the former San Tommaso prison, which serves for storage purposes only.

In order to provide suitably comfortable study positions with access to sockets for laptop computers, a maximum of twelve scholars may be accommodated in the study room at any one time.

There are Study Room Regulations regarding the consultation of the material in the archives, which must be read by users. Assistance is provided in the form of guidance facilities (inventories and card indexes) and the works in the Institute’s Library , which has catalogues divided by author and subject. The staff are also available to help and offer various services.

It is only possible to reproduce material with personal means, using photographic equipment. Authorization can be given to publish images.

It is possible to send requests, by post or email, for research by correspondence exclusively respect to the consultation of the inventories, or, in the case of requests of documents, only if their  complete and precise reference details are provided.

The study room is available to thefor which complete and precise reference details are provided: public during the established opening hours .

The documents in the Record Office can be freely consulted for no charge. This applies to research for study and also for administrative and private purposes. In order to enter, it is necessary to be aged 18 or over, show valid proof of identity and fill in a document with correct information regarding personal details, the reasons for the research and the subject matter (it is necessary to make a separate request for every subject).

The request must receive authorization from the manager of the study room and will be valid for the remainder of the calendar year; authorization is strictly personal.

In accordance with the applicable regulations, the institutional function of the Record Office is to store historical documentation produced by State bodies and offices based in the province of Reggio Emilia. In addition to this, the Institute has a rich documentary heritage , which ranges from the archives of dissolved religious associations to those of town councils and old noble families, with some original documents dating back to before the year 1000.

The study room can offer all of the equipment needed to direct and guide users in their research: concise and analytical inventories, indexes, card catalogues and, when other products are lacking, transfer lists. Of course, in addition to this, staff are available to provide assistance and advice.

An initial approach to the documentary heritage on offer can be made by consulting the Guida generale degli Archivi di Stato italiani, under Archivio di Stato di Reggio Emilia, Rome, 1986. The following two works are more analytical:

  • Dallari Umberto, Il R. Archivio di Stato di Reggio Emilia. Memorie storiche e inventario sommario, Rocca S.Casciano, Cappelli, 1910
  • Montorsi William, Le carte reggiane del risorgimento, Reggio Emilia, 1961.

There are analytical inventories of the cadastral survey and land register collections:

  • Meschini Paola, Estimi e catasti del territorio reggiano, Rome, MiBAC, 2006 (Pubblicazioni degli Archivi di Stato. Saggi, 89);
  • Id., Uffici finanziari. Estimi e catasti della provincia di Reggio Emilia. 1704-1985, Reggio Emilia, 2006;
  • Id.,Estimi e catasti del territorio reggiano. Il territorio (1786-1972). L'unità d'Italia, il Regno, la Repubblica (1864-1977), Reggio Emilia, 2003.

The analytical inventory of the papers of the Jewish University of Reggio Emilia is published in:

  • Il Ghetto ebraico nella memoria dei documenti. Edited by Gino Badini, Reggio Emilia, 1998

Every day, all of the staff at the Institute strive to offer the public a service of an appropriate standard. Nonetheless, it is possible that misunderstandings or difficulties may arise and cause inconvenience for users. Should this occur, a form for making complaints and any suggestions is available in the study room. The management will reply within 30 days.

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