This week’s Access Watch records temporary closures, consultation restrictions, retrieval limits and recently introduced access procedures that remain relevant during 21–27 September 2026. Researchers should pay particular attention to the continuing suspension of on-site consultation in Pistoia, specified fonds exclusions in Palermo, Pescara, Siena and Udine, and the one-day reading-room closures in Trani and Latina. Several institutions are also operating under recently introduced Sala Studio booking and access procedures.
At a glance: archive disruptions in Italy
The affected cities are Alessandria, Chieti, Ferrara, Genoa, Latina, Matera, Palermo, Pesaro, Pescara, Pistoia, Rovigo, Siena, Trani, Turin, Udine, Urbino and Vicenza.
ALESSANDRIA
Archivio di Stato di Alessandria
Disruption: Requests for genealogical research carried out at a distance are suspended until further notice because of organisational problems and staff shortages. The notice does not state that in-person consultation is suspended.
Affected holdings: Genealogical research requests handled remotely; in-person consultation is not stated to be affected.
Official link
CHIETI
Archivio di Stato di Chieti
Disruption: Until further notice, consultation of population and civil-registration registers is temporarily limited. Registers not included in the institution’s stated exceptions are unavailable both for in-person consultation and for correspondence research.
Affected holdings: Population and civil-registration registers, except the registers for municipalities from Altino to Sant’Eusanio del Sangro (Circondario di Lanciano), 1865–1871, and from Palena to Villa Santa Maria, 1818–1865.
Official link
FERRARA
Archivio di Stato di Ferrara
Disruption: Since 7 September 2026, booking, reading-room access and requests to consult documents have moved to the new Sala Studio system. Archival units must be booked exclusively through the portal; access is by SPID, CIE or eIDAS, with email authentication available for eligible users without digital identity.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
GENOA
Soprintendenza archivistica e bibliografica della Liguria – Archivio di Stato di Genova
Disruption: The new Sala Studio portal is in use for consultation requests. All users are required to register on the new portal at first access. During the transition, traditional in-person and email requests remain available until 30 September 2026; from 1 October the portal becomes the exclusive channel.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
LATINA
Archivio di Stato di Latina
Disruption: The reading room will be closed on Friday 25 September 2026 to allow installation of the documentary exhibition for the European Heritage Days.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
MATERA
Archivio di Stato di Matera
Disruption: New booking and reading-room access procedures have been in force since 7 September 2026 through the national Sala Studio system. Until 31 October, paper forms remain available for users without SPID or CIE; the institution is directing users to register and submit consultation requests through the portal.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
PALERMO
Soprintendenza Archivistica della Sicilia – Archivio di Stato di Palermo
Disruption: Because of continuing architectural refurbishment and works to the archival repositories at the Gancia site, the listed archival complexes remain temporarily excluded from consultation until further notice.
Affected holdings: Carceri giudiziarie di Palermo; Commissione centrale di vaccinazione di Palermo; Commissione consultiva di Sicilia; Commissione dei Presidenti; 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; Provveditorato agli studi – Refezione scolastica.
Official link
PESARO
Archivio di Stato di Pesaro
Disruption: Since 1 September 2026, requests for in-person consultation must be submitted through the Sala Studio portal. Each request covers one archival unit, with a maximum of 15 units per day; requests for an archivist consultation require institutional confirmation.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
PESCARA
Archivio di Stato di Pescara
Disruption: From Monday 21 September 2026 until further notice, specified holdings are excluded from consultation while works are carried out to expand and reorganise archival repository space.
Affected holdings: Stato civile; Catasto terreni (Note di voltura only); Capitaneria di porto; Montecatini.
Official link
PISTOIA
Archivio di Stato di Pistoia
Disruption: Because building works are continuing, the Pistoia site remains closed until 16 October 2026. Correspondence and reproduction services may operate, but consultation in the reading room remains suspended because the building is inaccessible for safety reasons.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
ROVIGO
Archivio di Stato di Rovigo
Disruption: Until further notice, archival material is retrieved only between 08:30 and 09:30, except in duly justified exceptional cases. Users are asked to book material well in advance through Sala Studio.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
SIENA
Archivio di Stato di Siena
Disruption: Fire-safety adaptation works affecting the area housing the Fondo “Giudice Ordinario – Tribunale di Rota” have made specified files temporarily unavailable. The institution also warns that extraordinary maintenance may cause temporary changes to user services.
Affected holdings: Fondo “Giudice Ordinario – Tribunale di Rota”: filze 422–820 and 1497–1906.
Official link
TRANI
Archivio di Stato di Barletta-Andria-Trani – Sede di Trani
Disruption: The reading room at the Trani branch will be closed on Wednesday 23 September 2026 for extraordinary works connected with building safety.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
TURIN
Archivio di Stato di Torino
Disruption: At the Sezione Corte, the reading-room entrance remains relocated to Piazzetta Mollino – sale espositive while maintenance of the main entrance continues. The current access notices also state that the 11:00 material distribution is not guaranteed.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
UDINE
Archivio di Stato di Udine
Disruption: For safety reasons, the Catasto repository is temporarily inaccessible to both the public and staff. Cadastral research in person and by correspondence is suspended throughout September, and the institution lists additional holdings as temporarily excluded from consultation.
Affected holdings: Catasto storico, mappe e registri; Centro tutela minorile – Ufficio circondariale di Udine; Corte di Assise di Udine; Deputazione provinciale di Udine; Motorizzazione civile – Ufficio provinciale di Udine; Opera Nazionale di Assistenza all’infanzia delle regioni di confine (ONAIRC); Opera Nazionale per gli Invalidi di Guerra (ONIG); Pretura di Cividale; Pretura di Udine; Pretura di Tolmezzo; Questura di Udine; Tribunale di Udine, Cancelleria civile: Sentenze civili A336–A509, Verbali di causa Ba22–Ba64, Procedimenti civili Bb1–Bb54, Verbali divisioni giudiziali C8–C15, Registri sentenze vendite giudiziali D59–D89, Procedimenti fallimentari Gorizia Fa1–Fa2, Sentenze di fallimento Fb1, Verbali alienati G1–G87, Tutele orfani di guerra I1–I7, Rubriche e registri generali L1–L21; Tribunale di Udine, Cancelleria penale: Sentenze penali A143–A218, Processi penali B155–B564, Registri generali penali Cb1–Cb6.
Official link
Archivio Storico Diocesano di Udine
Disruption: The diocesan historical archives and historical libraries were closed on the morning of Monday 21 September 2026 for staff training. They reopened in the afternoon at the usual time.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
URBINO
Sezione di Archivio di Stato di Urbino
Disruption: Since 1 September 2026, requests for in-person consultation must be submitted through the Sala Studio portal. Users must register, select the institution and submit their consultation requests through the new system.
Affected holdings: General access / reading-room services; no specific fonds exclusion identified in the notice.
Official link
VICENZA
Archivio di Stato di Vicenza
Disruption: Since 1 September 2026, access to the reading room is conditional on completion of the admission form through the Sala Studio platform. Requests for documentary material are also submitted through the platform; cadastral and cartographic consultation requires portal booking.
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.
