17–23 August 2026
The third week of August remains a particularly uneven period for archival access in Italy. Summer opening schedules overlap with longer-term building works, staffing constraints, repository closures and temporary restrictions on the retrieval of particular holdings. Several institutions remain fully closed, while others are operating with reduced hours or significant limits on the material that can be requested. This week’s Access Watch records only restrictions identified as active during 17–23 August 2026. Routine opening conditions and institutions for which no relevant disruption was identified are not included. Because summer arrangements can change at short notice, researchers travelling specifically to consult material should verify current conditions directly with the institution before setting out.
At a glance: archive disruptions in Italy
This week, identified disruptions affect Agrigento, Arezzo, Ascoli Piceno, Avellino, Barletta, Bassano del Grappa, Belluno, Feltre, Bergamo, Bologna, Como, Cuneo, Fabriano, Fano, Ferrara, Firenze, Foggia, Frosinone, Genova, Gubbio, Lanciano, Lucera, Lucca, Macerata, Milano, Modena, Napoli, Oristano, Palermo, Parma, Perugia, Pesaro, Pistoia, Potenza, Reggio Calabria, Rimini, Roma, Rovigo, Torino, Udine, Verona, Vicenza and Viterbo.
Agrigento
Archivio di Stato di Agrigento
Disruption: A group of archival units remains excluded from consultation until further notice.
Affected holdings: Corporazioni religiose soppresse, buste 428 and 471; Gabinetto della Prefettura di Agrigento, busta 98; Intendenza e Atti della Prefettura di Agrigento, buste 227, 229, 230, 231, 234, 237 and 241.
Official link
Arezzo
Archivio di Stato di Arezzo
Disruption: For fire-safety reasons, both the main reading room and cadastral reading room are limited to one user per day. Access is by reservation only, and each user may make no more than one booking per week.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Ascoli Piceno
Archivio di Stato di Ascoli Piceno
Disruption: Afternoon opening is suspended during July and August. The institution therefore operates on reduced summer hours throughout the week.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Avellino
Archivio di Stato di Avellino
Disruption: Summer opening hours remain in force until 18 September 2026. The archive is open 08:00–19:00 on Monday and Wednesday and 08:00–15:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, reducing the normal afternoon service on three weekdays.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Barletta
Archivio di Stato di Barletta-Andria-Trani — Barletta
Disruption: Use of the lift remains suspended while urgent works are carried out. The archive itself remains open, but physical accessibility within the building is affected.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Bassano del Grappa
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Bassano del Grappa
Disruption: The reading room is closed from 10 to 21 August inclusive. Normal services are scheduled to resume on 24 August, making the branch unavailable throughout the working days covered by this issue.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Belluno / Feltre
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Belluno-Feltre
Disruption: The archive observes its annual summer closure from 1 August to 15 September. The closure applies to the archive’s services in both Belluno and Feltre.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Bergamo
Archivio di Stato di Bergamo
Disruption: Summer hours remain in force until 28 August. The reading room is open Monday–Friday, 08:30–14:00, with afternoon openings suspended.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Bergamo
Disruption: The archive is closed from 10 to 30 August 2026 for the summer break.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Bologna
Archivio di Stato di Bologna
Disruption: Building works at the Complesso dei Celestini continue to restrict consultation. The temporary exclusion of medieval fonds ended on 16 August, but a separate group of fonds and units remains unavailable until 31 December 2026.
Affected holdings: Within Corporazioni religiose soppresse: Abbazia di S. Stefano di Bologna, nn. 97/1033–128/1064; Abbazia di S. Maria delle Grazie di Bologna, nn. 1/1065–13/1077; S. Bartolomeo di Porta Ravegnana – Padri Teatini, nn. 1/1078–7/1084; Monastero del Corpus Domini detto anche La Santa – Francescane, nn. 113/1238–172/1297; Monastero dei SS. Vitale e Agricola – Benedettine, nn. 3/3152–51/3200; Monastero di S. Agnese – Domenicane, nn. 79/5669–105/5695; Monastero dei SS. Naborre e Felice – Clarisse, nn. 1/5696–38/5733; Monastero di S. Mattia – Domenicane, nn. 27/5788–53/5814 bis; Monastero di S. Omobono, detto anche S. Maria della Pace – Servite, nn. 1/5815–21/5835; Convento di S. Girolamo – Padri Certosini, nn. 22/5877–39/5884 bis; S. Maria di Galliera – Padri Filippini, nn. 1/5884 ter–35/5918; S. Maria dei Servi – Padri Serviti, nn. 73/6163–123/6213 and 166/6256–187/6277; S. Maria dei Servi detta d’Ognissanti – Terziarie servite, nn. 1/6278–15/6292; S. Maria Maddalena – Domenicane, nn. 1/6293–25/6317. Entire fonds also excluded until 31 December are Amministrazione dei Beni demaniali; Atti stato civile Dipartimento del Reno (registers remain digitally available through Antenati); Ufficio di polizia del Dipartimento del Reno; Contabilità di Legazione; Corpo reale del Genio Civile; Ufficio dei Vicariati; Istituto di cura e riposo Giovanni XXIII ed opere annesse; Compagnia e conservatorio di Santa Maria del Baraccano; Conservatorio di S. Croce, poi di S. Croce e S. Giuseppe uniti; Sottoprefettura di Vergato; and Ispettorato, poi Direzione provinciale di Polizia. Detailed list of excluded holdings here.
Official link
Archivio Generale Arcivescovile di Bologna
Disruption: The archive is closed from 18 July to 2 September inclusive and is scheduled to reopen on 3 September.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Como
Centro Studi “Nicolò Rusca” — Archivio Storico Diocesano
Disruption: The diocesan historical archive and seminary library are closed from 6 August to 1 September.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Cuneo
Archivio di Stato di Cuneo
Disruption: Renovation works continue to restrict both access and the range of documentation available. The reading room currently opens Tuesday–Thursday, 10:00–15:00, with booking required by the preceding Friday.
Affected holdings: During the works, consultation is limited to Catasto, Dipartimento della Stura and Distretto Militare; other holdings are currently unavailable.
Official link
Fabriano
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Fabriano
Disruption: The Direzione Generale Archivi currently lists the Fabriano section as not active.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Fano
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Fano
Disruption: The section remains temporarily closed pending transfer to its new premises. Consultation services are therefore unavailable on site.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Ferrara
Archivio di Stato di Ferrara
Disruption: Following the closure of the main repository under safety requirements, the great majority of the archive’s holdings remain unavailable for consultation.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Firenze
Archivio Storico Arcivescovile di Firenze
Disruption: The archive is closed throughout August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Foggia
Archivio di Stato di Foggia — Palazzo Dogana
Disruption: Summer hours remain in force until 28 August. The Palazzo Dogana site is open to the public from 08:30 to 13:30 only.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Frosinone
Archivio di Stato di Frosinone
Disruption: The transfer of the institution continues to affect consultation. Documentation already packed for relocation is unavailable; reading-room access is by appointment, with a maximum of six users and three archival units per day.
Affected holdings: Documentation already packed for transfer; digitised material remains available.
Official link
Genova
Archivio di Stato di Genova — Campi repository
Disruption: Consultation at the Campi branch remains suspended while safety works are carried out. A temporary Tuesday service operates instead at the main S. Ignazio site from 08:30 to 13:00.
Affected holdings: Holdings stored at the Genova-Campi repository.
Official link
Gubbio
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Gubbio
Disruption: On Monday 17 August the section is open only from 09:00 to 14:00, with the usual afternoon opening suspended.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Lanciano
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Lanciano
Disruption: Because the former premises are unavailable, the section’s documentation has been transferred to external storage. Material can be consulted at the Archivio di Stato di Chieti only after advance request and the necessary transfer time.
Affected holdings: The holdings of the Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Lanciano are subject to advance transfer to Chieti for consultation.
Official link
Lucera
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Lucera
Disruption: The section is closed from 5 to 21 August 2026. It is therefore unavailable from Monday 17 to Friday 21 August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Lucca
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Lucca
Disruption: The archive is closed from 1 July to 14 September 2026 inclusive and is scheduled to reopen on 15 September.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Macerata
Archivio di Stato di Macerata
Disruption: Because of the transfer of the institute to Villa Potenza, in-person consultation remains suspended, together with correspondence and photographic-reproduction requests that require retrieval of physical archival material.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Milano
Archivio di Stato di Milano
Disruption: From 17 to 21 August the archive is open 08:00–14:00, with the final document retrieval at 12:00. The archive is closed on Saturday 22 August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Modena
Archivio di Stato di Modena
Disruption: Until 31 August, the reading room operates Monday–Friday from 08:30 to 13:30 because of high summer temperatures.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Napoli
Archivio di Stato di Napoli
Disruption: From 10 to 22 August the archive is open 08:00–14:00. Document retrieval is reduced to the morning, and the Pizzofalcone site follows the same shortened schedule on its opening day.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Oristano
Archivio di Stato di Oristano
Disruption: Throughout August the reading room is closed on Thursday afternoons. The restriction therefore applies on Thursday 20 August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Palermo
Archivio di Stato di Palermo — Gancia
Disruption: Building works continue to exclude a defined group of fonds from consultation until 31 August 2026.
Affected holdings: Carceri giudiziarie di Palermo; Circolo ferroviario d’ispezione; Commissione centrale di vaccinazione di Palermo; Commissione consultiva di Sicilia; Commissione dei Presidenti; Commissione della Consulta araldica siciliana; Commissione liquidatrice dei debiti dei comuni di Sicilia accollati dallo Stato; Commissione per l’esame dei titoli per le medaglie commemorative; Consulta di Sicilia; ISES – Istituto per lo sviluppo dell’edilizia sociale; Ispettorato per le nuove costruzioni ferroviarie – Ufficio di Palermo; Soprintendenza alle Grandi Prigioni, già Deputazione di Santa Maria – Visita carceri; Provveditorato agli studi – Refezione scolastica.
Official link
Parma
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Parma
Disruption: The archive is closed from 17 June to 14 September 2026.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Perugia
Archivio di Stato di Perugia
Disruption: The archive remains closed to the public until further notice because of works affecting the cloister of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell’Umbria.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Pesaro
Archivio di Stato di Pesaro Urbino
Disruption: Because of high temperatures, material stored on the second floor and in the mezzanine of the first floor is not retrieved between 11:00 and 16:00. Advance booking is strongly recommended.
Affected holdings: Documentation stored in the second-floor repository and in the mezzanine of the first-floor repository.
Official link
Pistoia
Archivio di Stato di Pistoia
Disruption: Closure of the Pistoia site has been extended until 16 October 2026 because of building works. Reading-room consultation remains suspended.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Potenza
Archivio di Stato di Potenza
Disruption: Until 18 September, retrieval of several groups of material is restricted to 08:00–11:00. Items may be ordered in advance for consultation on subsequent days.
Affected holdings: Biblioteca; Liste di leva; Provveditorato Opere Pubbliche; Catasto provvisorio; Genio civile; Fascicoli matricolari; Fondo E.N.A.L.; Azienda Doria Pamphili.
Official link
Reggio Calabria
Archivio di Stato di Reggio Calabria
Disruption: Two restrictions remain active. Consultation of documentation kept in repositories without climate-control systems is temporarily suspended because of high temperatures. In addition, afternoon access on Mondays and Wednesdays is suspended until 31 August, leaving morning access only on those days.
Affected holdings: Documentation stored in repositories without climate-control systems; material already present in the reading room, digital resources and documentation stored in suitable climate-controlled areas remain available.
Official links here and here
Rimini
Archivio di Stato di Rimini
Disruption: Summer hours remain in force until 15 September. The archive is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 08:30–13:30, and Tuesday and Thursday 08:30–13:30 and 14:00–17:00. User capacity and daily consultation limits are also reduced.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Roma
Archivio Centrale dello Stato
Disruption: Throughout August, public services operate from 09:00 to 14:00. The separate Sala Studio closure of 10–14 August has ended, but reduced opening hours and a limited morning retrieval schedule remain in force.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Archivio di Stato di Roma
Disruption: The shuttle service used to retrieve material from the Via Galla Placidia branch is suspended during August. Requests concerning material held there are therefore temporarily affected.
Affected holdings: Fonds stored at the Via Galla Placidia branch.
Official link
Rovigo
Archivio di Stato di Rovigo
Disruption: Owing to a serious staff shortage, document retrieval is limited to the morning, from 08:30 to 13:00, with a maximum of six items per day. Material already deposited in the reading room may continue to be consulted in the afternoon.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Torino
Archivio di Stato di Torino
Disruption: Both Turin reading rooms are operating under summer schedules. At Sezione Corte, from 8 August to 4 September, opening is 09:00–13:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 13:30–18:00 on Thursday. At Sezioni Riunite, through 21 August, opening is 09:00–13:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 13:30–18:00 on Wednesday. The intermediate morning retrieval is not guaranteed under the summer arrangements.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Udine
Archivio di Stato di Udine
Disruption: The Catasto repository remains temporarily inaccessible for safety reasons. In-person and correspondence-based cadastral research is suspended until further notice.
Affected holdings: Catasto storico, cadastral maps and cadastral registers held in the affected repository.
Official link
Verona
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Verona
Disruption: The archive is closed from 23 July to 31 August and is scheduled to reopen on 1 September. New bookings are not taken until after 26 August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Archivio di Stato di Verona
Disruption: The archive is closed on Saturday 22 August as part of its summer opening arrangements. Weekday access remains unaffected by this particular notice.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Vicenza
Archivio di Stato di Vicenza
Disruption: Following an unexpected lift failure, document retrieval is limited to one archival unit per researcher per day, with retrieval rounds at 08:50, 09:30 and 10:30.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Viterbo
Archivio di Stato di Viterbo — Sala Catasto
Disruption: The Sala Catasto is closed from 13 to 20 August and therefore remains unavailable from Monday 17 through Thursday 20 August. Normal service is scheduled to resume on Friday 21 August.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
Disclaimer
This report provides an overview of archive disruptions in Italy for the week ahead and is provided as a planning aid only. It is compiled from official notices, official institutional pages, and other publicly accessible institutional communications available at the time of publication. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timely updating, Archivitaly does not warrant that all information reported here is exhaustive, error-free, or still current at the time of consultation. Access conditions, consultation rules, opening hours, retrieval procedures, and temporary exclusions may change at very short notice, and institutions may amend, replace, remove, or publish notices without warning. Readers are therefore strongly advised to verify the current situation through the official links provided and, where access is essential, to confirm directly with the relevant institute before travelling or making research arrangements. Archivitaly accepts no liability for losses, delays, inconvenience, missed consultations, wasted travel, or other consequences arising from reliance on this post, including where notices are subsequently modified, withdrawn, corrected, or newly issued after publication.
