Historical Archives of the Humanities Library

Historical archives of the Philosophy Section

The archives of the classical studies journal "Atene e Roma" (Athens and Rome) are made up of a single series called "correspondence" which consists of about 300 letters, postcards and cards, all original and authored by important names of the Italian cultural scene of the early twentieth century, among which are: Benedetto Croce, Gaetano Curcio, Pericle Ducati, Arturo Farinelli, Guido Mazzoni, Angiolo Orvieto, Carlo Pascal, Giorgio Pasquali. The letters are mainly addressed to Paolo Emilio Pavolini, Felice Ramorino, Girolamo Vitelli and others, such as the directors of the journal "Athens and Rome" and presidents of the then Società Italiana per la Diffusione e l’Incoraggiamento degli Studi Classici (Italian Society for the Promotion of Classical Studies) in Florence.

• Chronological range: 1906 - 1920
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: La Rivista «Atene e Roma», regesto del carteggio: 1906 - 1920, edited by Antonina Alberti, in Atti e Memorie dell'Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, volume LII, Firenze Leo S. Olschki, 1987
• Useful information: the Humanities Library holds the library collection of the Società Italiana Studi Classici

The archives of Luisa Banti (Florence 1894-1978) consist of the following series: manuscripts; typewritten documents; drawings; letters; a set of miscellaneous papers; photographic material, including in the latter also a small collection of 162 postcards. The material is kept together with the books once belonging to the archaeologist Luisa Banti at the Department of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Renaissance and Linguistics.

• Chronological range: early 1900s
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Saccardi Luisa, Dall'Archivio dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze: Documenti di Luisa Banti Archeologa, Firenze Leo S. Olschki, 2002.
• Useful information: The material was damaged during the flood of 1966 and for this reason, there is little left of the original organisation and the legibility of some of the documents is compromised.

The archive of Adolfo Bartoli (Fivizzano MS 1833 - Genova 1894) consists of the following series: correspondence; handwritten notes of Italian literature from the 13th to the 15th centuries; Preparatory materials and conference papers, lectures, speeches; newspaper clippings; proceedings and documents. Such material is kept in 21 boxes.

• Chronological range: second half of the XIX century
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Guida agli Archivi delle personalità della cultura in Toscana tra '800 e '900. L'area fiorentina, edited by Capannelli Emilio e Insabato Elisabetta, Firenze, Olschki, 1996, pp. 69-70
• Useful information: no book collection available. The archives of Adolfo Bartoli were donated in 1913
• Chartae description of the archives Adolfo Bartoli

The archives of Carlo Battisti (Trento 1882 - Empoli FI 1977) consist of manuscript material on the topic of critical phonetic and notes on the dialects of Northern Casertino (cc. 1- 56). In addition, there are two abstracts with a dedication of the authors to Battisti, specifically: Casella Mario, Fonologia del dialetto di Firenzuola D'Arda, Perugia, Unione Tipografica operativa, 1922; Schiaffini Alfredo, Il Mercante genovese nel Medioevo e il suo linguaggio, Genova, Stabilimenti italiani arti grafiche, 1929.

• Chronological range: no dates
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available in the Dialectology room of the Department of Ancient, Middle Ages and Renaissance Sciences and Linguistics (call numbers F. B.). The material was damaged by the flood of 1966
• Chartae description of the archives Carlo Battisti

Philosophy Library

The Archives of Giuseppe Antonio Borgese (Polizzi Generosa PA 1882- Fiesole FI 1952) consists of the following series: biographical materials (cc. 1-7679); general preparatory materials (cc. 1- 6579); literary production (cc. 1- 6710); literary-aesthetic essays (cc. 1- 2363); political, historical and cultural materials (cc. 1-15851); academic activities, conferences and various speeches (cc. 1- 5034). The archive consists of a total of 44,234 papers, collected in 74 boxes. In the box. n. 74 there are also 7 letters written between 1951 and 1953 by the son of Borgese, Leonardo, to Antonio Fornari, and then donated by Marcello Staglieno to the library in 2013.

• Chronological range: 1922 - 1957
• Consultation: allowed, except for one document classified following the heirs' wishes
• Research tools: Catalogo del Fondo Giuseppe Antonio Borgese della Biblioteca Umanistica dell'Università di Lettere, edited by Macconi Maria Grazia, in collaboration with Lenzi Marco Massimiliano e Mannucci Duccio, Firenze, Edizioni Gonnelli, 2009. Materiali su Benedetto Croce Fondo Giuseppe Antonio Borgese della Biblioteca Umanistica dell'Università di Lettere, edited by Bazzani Fabio, Olivieri Anna, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere "La Colombaria", 1993, (not commercially available, reading allowed on premises). Materiali inediti per il poema Atlantide di G. A. Borgese, edited by Lenzi Marco Massimiliano, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere "La Colombaria", 1992, (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises)
• Useful information: no book collection available. Most of the documents in the archives pertain to the so-called "American period" from 1931 to 1949
• Chartae description of the archives Giuseppe Antonio Borgese

The archive of Napoleone Caix (Bozzolo MN 1845 -1882) consists of handwritten notes that reflect his studies and interests such as linguistics and Romance languages. From a partial analysis of the documentation, no letters have been found except for a single case. There is a printed brochure of Caix, "General alterations in the Italian language", Rome, Loescher, 1879 showing handwritten marginal notes. Finally, it also preserves the doctoral degree awarded to Napoleone Caix in Pisa in 1865. The archives take up five boxes.

• Chronological range: [Second half of XiX century]
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: no book collection available. The archives were allegedly bought in the 1980s and has not yet been catalogued. The problems encountered with this archive are relative to the attribution of part of the handwritten documents to the same creator
• Chartae description of the archives Napoleone Caix

The archive of Alexander Chiappelli (Pistoia 1857- Naples 1931) is composed of the following archival series: General Philosophy (cc. 1- 3172); Ancient Philosophy (cc.1 - 2367); Modern Philosophy (1- 1169); Art History and Aesthetics (cc.1-1458); Ancient History (cc. 1-133); Commemorative Writings (cc. 1-124); Politics (cc. 1-1151); Literature (cc. 1-712); Writings on Socialism (cc. 1-103); Writings about Pistoia (cc. 1-230); Religion (cc. 1-619); Miscellaneous Writings (cc. 1-1453); Letters (cc. 1-194); Printed Texts (cc. 1-978); Diverse Materials (cc., 1-1948). The material is stored in 12 containers.

• Chronological range: none available
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Catalogo del Fondo Alessandro Chiappelli, edited by Bazzani Fabio e Olivieri Anna, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere "La Colombaria", 1991 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises)
• Useful information: no book collection available
• Chartae description of the archives Alessandro Chiappelli

The archives of Domenico Comparetti (Rome 1835 - Firenze 1927) consist of two collections: the first called Correspondence; the second called Manuscripts. The Manuscripts are made up of the following archival series: Archaeology; Classical Philology; Modern Philology; Various. The Comparetti Archives totals 15,988 papers contained in 20 boxes.

• Chronological range: correspondence between 1854 and 1922
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Carteggio Domenico Comparetti Gherardo Nerucci, edited by Chirico Maria Luisa, Cirillo Teresa, Firenze, Gonnelli, 2007. Catalogo Generale del Fondo Domenico Comparetti, Carteggio e Manoscritti, edited by Macconi Maria Grazia, Squilloni Antonella, Messina, Università degli Studi di Messina, 2002. Macconi M. G., Squilloni A., Le lettere di Domenico Comparetti a Federico Halbherr dell'Accademia roveretana degli agiati, Firenze, Leo S. Olschki, 2004
• Useful information: book collection also available. All material donated in 1927 at Comparetti's death, following his will.
• Chartae description of the archives Domenico Comparetti

The archives consist of the notes of an etymological dictionary of the language, ie the language spoken by the Spanish gypsies with its items in Spanish, presumably written between 1918 and 1921. The archives are made up of 4,177 papers kept in 6 containers , inclusive of several language cards from "A" to "Z", except for the letters "D", "E", "K" and "M" missing in their entirety.

• Chronological range: [1918-1921]
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Dizionario Etimologico della lingua "Calò", Catalogo, edited by Zaplana Susana Donas, in Atti e Memorie dell'Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, Firenze, Leo S. Olschki, 2002
• Useful information: no book collection available. The author of the catalogue suggests that the papers belonged to the Merino collection, following the donation, in 1934, of the manuscript Los Gitanos by the Marquise Caroline Morelli Wightá
• Chartae description of the archives Ambrosio Fernández Merino

The archive of Marisa Fabbri (Florence 1931- Rome 2003) is mainly composed of two lots that reflect her acting career. The first group is called Private papers and contains diverse and heterogeneous material such as letters, contracts, bills, photographs; the second and most conspicuous group is called Working Scripts and is composed exclusively of scripts of plays that bear in some cases marginal annotations.

• Chronological range: 1968-2003
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: L'archivio di Marisa Fabbri (1968-2003): inventario, graduation thesis (2012) of Elena Archilovskaya; Longhi Claudio, Marisa Fabbri Lungo viaggio attraverso il teatro di regia, Firenze, Le Lettere, 2010.
• Useful information: book collection also available. Donated to the Humanities Library in 2007 by Paolo Modugno, the actress' partner, and Gilda Fabbri, her sister. Not catalogued.
• Chartae description of the archives Marisa Fabbri

Chartae description of the archives Egidio Gorra

The archives of Fausto Lasinio (Florence 1831-1914), consists of hadwritten material such as notes on texts, manuscripts, inscriptions of Hebrew and Sanskrit languages. There is a letter that deals with the transcription of a text and a draft of a work by Pietro Perreau entitled Abbreviations and Chaldean, Jewish, Rabbinic and Talmudic acronyms, with their various solutions collected and collated by Pietro Perreau. The archives contain also documents not directly related to Lasinio.

• Chronological range: [XVIII sec.]
• Consultation allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. Archives pending cataloguing
• Chartae description of the archives Fausto Lasinio

The Mansi archive contains documents allegedly belonging to a collateral branch of the family from Lucca. The Archives consist for the most part of loose papers stored in 11 containers. Among the names found are Luigi Mansi (XVIII C.) and Raffaello Mansi (XIX C.). Among the documents found, there is some correspondence and various administrative documents such as books of accounts and inventories, relating to the centuries XV-XIX.

• Chronological range: [XV-XIX sec.]
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: no book collection available. Pending cataloguing.

Chartae description of the archives Ambrosio Fernandez Merino

The archive of Carlo Morandi (Suna NO 1904- Florence 1950) consists of 11 boxes divided as follows: Box 1 correspondence; Box 2 handwritten and printed notes; Box 3 handwritten notes and printed material; Box 4 academic activity; Boxes 5-8 clipboard and notes; Boxes 9-10 copies of archival documents and notes; Box 11 copies of archival documents, plus various original documents. The printed volumes, dating to the 20th century, relate to modern and contemporary history and the history of Risorgimento.

• Chronological range: carteggio 1932- 1949
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Catalogo del Fondo Carlo Morandi della Biblioteca di Lettere e Filosofia dell'Università di Firenze, edited by Squilloni Antonella, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere "La Colombaria", 1992 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises)
• Useful information: no book collection available
• Chartae description of the archives Morandi, Carlo

The archives of Adolfo Mussafia (Split 1834 - Firenze 1905) consist of the following series: Correspondence with family members; Records and documents including some related to his activities at the Austrian High Chamber; Preparatory materials; Manuscripts; Transcripts of keynote speeches, lectures, talks; Newspaper clippings. The archives are held in 15 containers.

• Chronological range: XIX sec -
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: no book collection available. The archives were donated in 1925 by Pio Rajna, who had received them as a bequest from Mussafia's widow.
• Chartae description of the archives Adolfo Mussafia

The archive of Enrico Paribeni (Rome 1911- Florence 1993) consists mainly of photographs and drawings he himself made of monuments that he utilised as a real working tool. The image collection, begun in the period of university studies and specialization in Greece, was enriched further during the positions at the Archaeological Superintendence of Florence and Rome and then, since 1958, when he began the long association the World Encyclopedia of Art and in particular the Encyclopedia of Classical and Eastern Ancient Art.

• Chronological range: no dates
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: no book collection available. The archives were officially acquired by the University of Florence in 2004 with notification to the Archival Superintendence of Tuscany and are now part of the special archives of the Humanities Library. Consultation is through the Department of Classical Studies
• Chartae description of the archives Enrico Paribeni

The archives of Ernesto Giacomo Parodi (Genoa Florence 1862- 1923) are divided into two series: Correspondence and Documents. The Correspondence consists of 10,163 papers collected in 22 containers that contain files sorted alphabetically by sender for a total of 993 names. The series Documents consists of 29 containers for a total of 28,602 papers containing handwritten notes by Parodi and records attributable to someone whose identity is unknown.

• Chronological range: 1891-1923 for the correspondence
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Il Fondo Ernesto Giacomo parodi dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Recensio e descrizione dei materiali, edited by Bazzani Fabio, Bigio Annamaria, Lenzi Marco Massimiliano, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, 1998 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises)
• Useful information: book collection also available. Archives acquired in 1923
• Chartae description of the archives Ernesto Giacomo Parodi

The archives of Baldo Peroni (Pavia 1877- post 1958) consist of the following series: Correspondence, with a total of 54 correspondents (cc. 1- 280); Readings and abstracts (cc. 323-2050); Notes and documents (cc. 2051-3795). To these series it must be added other material found at a later stage (cc. 3796-4234). The archives are contained in 6 boxes.

• Chronological range: carteggio 1917-1958
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Catalogo del Fondo Baldo Peroni della biblioteca di Lettere e Filosofia dell'Università di Firenze, edited by Squilloni Antonella, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, 1990 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises).
• Useful information: no book collection available
• Chartae description of the archives Baldo Peroni

The archives of Fedele Romani (Colledara, TE 1855 - Florence 1910) contain handwritten and typewritten notes reflecting the studies and the interest of prof. Romani. To this regard, there are notes on his studies on Dante and drafts of fiction works. This collection made up of loos papers is held in a single container.

• Chronological range: [19th - 20th century]
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. Pending cataloguing.
• Chartae description of the archives Fedele Romani

The archives of Antonio Rotondò (Lattarico CS 1929 - Florence 2007) is divided into two distinct lots: one that collects all the correspondence and another dedicated to Rotondò's studies called the Historical Documentation. The Archives, after their reorganization, have been divided into the following series: Proceedings and personal documentation; Acts and professional documentation; Correspondence; Publishers and bookshops; Cultural institutions; Memoirs and commemorations. To this documentation other material is added, which does not relate to the owner and takes the name after his wife "Miriam Michelini's Archives".

• Chronological range: 1955-2008
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. Donated in the period 2007-2008 by the wife, Miriam, following the professor's last will and testament. Pending cataloguing.
• Chartae description of the archives Antonio Rotondò

The archives of Moritz Schiff (Frankfurt 1823 Geneva-1896) are made up of diverse and heterogeneous material that reflect the studies conducted by the physiologist. The archives are collected in three boxes and contain loose papers including correspondence; lecture notes; ideas for research topics; 26 notebooks; books invoices and orders; photographic material; Obituaries of Schiff himself. There is some material which does not relate directly to Moritz, but probably to his son Mario, professor of French Literature at the Institute of Higher Studies of Florence.

• Chronological range: metà XIX secolo
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. Pending cataloguing. Donated in 1917 upon the wishes of Moritz Schiff's daughter-in-law
• Chartae description of the archives Moritz Schiff

The Asiatic Society's archives consist of multiple cores that reflect the nature of the body that has produced them. There are the members' register and subscription records, administrative documents such as cash books or invoices, as well as the correspondence which constitutes the largest part of the archives. There are as well newspaper clippings and abstracts for the Asiatic Society's newsletter and some reviews. This documentation is kept in 4 containers.

• Chronological range: [XIX- XX sec.]
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. The archived became part of the possessions of the 'Institute for Higher Studies' upon the extinction of the Asiatic Society, which was hosted in premises of the Philosophy and Philology unit during the years 1935-40
• Chartae description of the archives Società Asiatica

The archives of Giuseppe Tarozzi (Torino 1866 - Padua 1958), recently discovered (April 2012), are in the process of being sorted. The materials, arranged in 6 numbered boxes, consist of manuscripts of works, mostly published, by the philosopher, student of Ardigò, and professor of theoretical philosophy at the University of Bologna from 1906 to 1936. There are also a variety of materials related to teaching and a small group of correspondence to be identified. The collection has had a preliminary sorting prior to retrieval.

• Chronological range: XIX-XX sec.
• Consultation: non allowed until definite cataloguing
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: there are two book collections belonging to Giuseppe Tarozzi, one held by the Humanities library branch and the other by the Education branch
• Chartae description of the archives Giuseppe Tarozzi

The archives of Felice Tocco (Catanzaro 1845-Florence 1911) consist mainly of handwritten notes about anthropology, linguistics, psychology and especially philosophy. The archive has been reorganized, separating oversize folders, (29 units) and mid-size folders,(26 units). A further mid-size folder contains the list of manuscripts, a bibliography, and a biography of Tocco. Such material was put together by his son Roberto on the basis of the documents kept in the family archives.

• Chronological range: 1860-1910
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Olivieri Anna, Felice Tocco: le carte e i manoscritti della Biblioteca della facoltà di lettere e filosofia dell'Università di Firenze, Firenze, Leo S. Olschki, 1991.
• Useful information: book collection also available. The archives do not contain the correspondence which was destroyed along with other documents and materials as a result of a fire caused by air raids during the war.
• Chartae description of the archives Felice Tocco

The archives of Charles de Tolnay (Budapest Florence 1899- 1981) includes various and heterogeneous materials such as photos, newspaper clippings and notes, reflecting the studies and the personality of the creator.

• Chronological range: no dates
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: none available
• Useful information: book collection also available. Pending cataloguing.

The archive of Pasquale Villari (Naples 1827- Florence 1917) consists of the following series: Villari Correspondence (cc. 1-1484), divided into three sections: drafts; letters sent by Villari; general correspondence. Villari as a politician (cc. 1-1006) divided into seven sections: University education; Secondary education; Elementary education; Italian schools abroad and migration; Cultural Heritage and State Archives; Administration; Various. Villari as a Professor (cc. 1-747) divided into three sections; Lessons of History; Psychology and History; Teaching activity. School works and Theses. Villari as a Historian divided into three sections: Material on Niccolo Machiavelli (cc. 1-1913); Material on Girolamo Savonarola (cc. 1-897); Miscellaneous work by Villari historian (cc. 1-181). General and New Accessions. The material is kept in 12 boxes for a total of 6,493 items.

• Chronological range: Mid-1800s - 1917
• Consultation: allowed
• Research tools: Fondo Pasquale Villari Catalogo delle carte: Varie generali e Nuove accessioni, edited by Bazzani Fabio, Bigio Annamaria, Lenzi Marco Massimiliano, Firenze, Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, 1995 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises). Fondo Pasquale Villari Catalogo delle carte: Villari storico, edited by Bazzani Fabio, Bigio Annamaria, Lenzi Marco Massimiliano, Firenze, Accademia Toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, 1994 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises). Fondo Pasquale Villari Catalogo del Carteggio, edited by Bazzani Fabio, Macconi Maria Grazia, Olivieri Anna, Firenze, Accademia Toscana di scienze e lettere La Colombaria, 1993 (not available in commerce, reading allowed on premises).
• Useful information: no book collection available. The correspondence date back to 1891, the year in which Villari was MInister for Public Education
• Chartae description of the archives Pasquale Villari