Consultation Guide

1. Why and when archival research is carried out 

Archival research is not the search for a single document, but the exploration of a documentary context.

People turn to archives when they need original sources to reconstruct an event, verify a right, explore a historical pathway in greater depth, or document an administrative activity.

Archival documents are created for concrete administrative, legal, political and social purposes, and preserve traces of the processes that generated them. For this reason, research rarely begins with an “isolated document”, but rather with an understanding of the archival holding in which it is preserved and of the records creator that produced it.

Before beginning, it is useful to define:

• the subject of the research;
• the chronological scope;
• the relevant institutional or territorial context.

This approach makes it possible to choose the most appropriate tool and to navigate the research process in an informed way.

2. The foundations of archival research 

Every document exists within an organised structure: archival holdings, series, archival units.

The archival heritage is organised according to a hierarchical structure that reflects the activity of the records creator.

The body of documents produced by an institution, a person or a family constitutes an archival holding. Within each holding, series, sub‑series and archival units can be identified, linked to one another by the so‑called archival bond.

Understanding this structure is essential: the position of a document within the holding determines its meaning.

Archival research therefore proceeds from the general to the particular, following the original organisation of the records.

To explore the main archival terms in greater depth, you can consult the Glossary.

3. Browsing the archival heritage structure

Browsing the archival heritage structure allows users to explore the archival heritage by following its hierarchical structure.

The archival heritage structure navigation tool makes it possible to start from the list of archival holdings and progressively move down to more specific levels: series, sub‑series, archival units and, where available, individual digitised documents.

This method is particularly useful when:

• users know the name of an archival holding or the position of a series or archival or documentary unit;
• users want to explore an archival holding as a whole;
• users wish to understand the internal organisation of the documentation.

Browsing the archival heritage structure supports structured and contextualised research.

4. Using the research tools 

The portal provides different tools, complementary to one another: structured navigation, a search engine and inventories.

Archival research can be started in different ways, depending on the information available at the outset and the level of depth required.

The available tools are:

• Tree navigation, to explore the hierarchical structure of the archival holdings.
• Search engine, to query archival descriptions using keywords, chronological filters and specific parameters;
• Digitised inventories, to access systematic and detailed descriptions of selected archival holdings.

The search engine is useful when you have specific terms available, such as names, places or events. The inventory, on the other hand, makes it possible to understand the overall organisation of an archival holding and identify the relevant archival units precisely.

Using these tools in combination allows for more informed and comprehensive research. 

5. Consulting the digitised holdings

Some archival holdings and series are also available in digital format.

Part of the archival heritage has been digitised through dedicated digitisation campaigns. Where available, digital images are accessible directly from the archival descriptions, both via tree navigation and via the search engine.

Online availability does not replace on‑site consultation, but expands access opportunities and makes it easier to begin research.

Not all archival holdings have been fully digitised: the presence of images is indicated in the individual descriptive records.