Phd in DOCUMENTATION STUDIES, LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

Thesis title: Gli archivi della politica negli istituti culturali romani. Storia, normativa, prospettive

This study aims to investigate the development of those institutions that shaped the Italian cultural landscape since post-World War II, which currently preserve the historical memory of the various political parties. These institutions are commonly included in the broad and somewhat generic category of “cultural institutes” or “institutes of culture,” and have gradually emerged as key places for archival preservation. In the cultural excitement that characterized the years following the fall of the Fascist regime, Italy witnessed a proliferation of documentation centers, associations, foundations, and research bodies connected to the newly reconstituted democratic political organizations. These institutes, in turn, initiated—at different times and with varying degrees of effectiveness—processes aimed at safeguarding their historical identity and archival heritage. In this context, historiography and archival science have evolved in close relation to one another. Starting from a historical overview of Italian legislation on the protection of private archives—a vast and heterogeneous field that also includes the papers of political leaders and parties—the research examines the evolution of several significant cultural institutions established in Rome after World War II, focusing on their transformation from centers of political and cultural elaboration into long term repositories. Particular attention has been dedicated to the impact of State laws regulating the allocation of public funds to private institutions, as well as to more targeted measures concerning financial support for projects involving the archives of political parties and their leaders.