Regulation
REGULATION for researchers attending the Archives
1. The Propaganda Fide Historical Archives (Archivio Storico di Propaganda Fide) are private archives open to the public. Research is free of charge and open to qualified scholars conducting scientific studies. Application providing personal details (name, family name, address, nationality), qualifications, profession and reasons for the research is necessary to be admitted to the consultation. It is also necessary to provide a presentation letter from a recognized institute of scientific and historical research or a person qualified in the field of historical research (tenured university professors). All research permissions will expire on July 15th.
2. Opening times are: Monday to Thursday (8,30 a.m. to 5,30 p.m.) and Friday (8,30 a.m. to 1,30 p.m.).
3. The Archives will be closed for consultation from July 15th to September 15th and on Vatican City State Holidays.
4. It is strictly forbidden to smoke in the Archives.
5. It is strictly forbidden the access to the Consultation Room with bags, pens, cell phones (even turned off) and photo cameras.
6. Scholars have at their disposal a locker to keep their personal belongings and those objects not allowed in the Archives. The staff is not responsible for any possible theft.
7. Permission is granted to consult the documents until the end of Pope Pius XII’s Pontificate (February 1958).
8. Volumes must be requested to the Consultation Room Responsible by using the specially prepared form.
9. You can not ask for more than three bound volumes or a box (containing not bound documents) at a time and a maximum of ten volumes per day.
10. The volumes may remain in the Consultation Room while their use is necessary to complete the research. Once the consultation has finished they must be given back to the Consultation Room Responsible.
11. Volumes containing the Archives’ documents should be treated, during consultation, with the utmost care, so it is strictly prohibited:
a) to cut and remove any document or part of it (this would imply appropriate sanctions and the immediate revocation of the consultation permission in the Propaganda Fide Historical Archives and in any other of the Holy See Archives);
b) to lay on the volume the paper used for the document’s transcription;
c) to write or make any correction on the document;
d) to transfer the documents from the Consultation Room to the Library, or to transfer printed books from the Library to the Consultation Room.
12. Researchers are kindly requested to:
a) observe absolute silence in the Archives with the only exception of brief communications in a low voice with the staff;
b) report to the Archives’ staff about any document or volume that is damaged or in need of restoration.
13. Permission to consult the Archives includes permission to publish the transcription of documents.
14. For the photographic publication of any document belonging to the Propaganda Fide Historical Archives a special permission is requested. Permission can be granted only after special request (using the appropriate form) and after the copyright fee payment.
15. It is strictly forbidden to make photographs of the documents or to obtain any kind of digital images by using personal scanner machines.
16. The complete digital copy of an entire volume, or more than one third of it, is not permitted (for very rare cases, a special permission is requested).
17. To order digital copies, please, use the specially prepared form.
18. The price of the CD / DVD reproductions is as follows:
• For each used volume ......................................... € 7.75
• For each reproduction ......................................... € 0.45
• For each image printed on paper ........................ € 0.45
19. Any order superior to 500 reproductions requires a deposit of at least half of the total prize. The photographic material will not in any case be delivered unless prior payment of the total amount.
20. It is absolutely forbidden to use the digital images or negatives for any commercial purpose.
21. Every scholar is also committed to send to the Propaganda Fide Historical Archives two copies of any publication made using documents belonging to these Archives.
22. The application to be admitted to the Propaganda Fide Historical Archives implies the acceptance of these Regulations.
23. The Congregation’s Archivist is responsible for the full and faithful observance of these Regulations.
24. The failure to comply with these Rules may result in the revocation of the permission to attend the Archives.