State Archives of Florence
The State Archives of Florence (Archivio di Stato di Firenze) is the city’s public records repository. It houses more than 600 fonds dating back to the 8th century; if all the material were laid out in a line, it would stretch about 75 kilometers (46 miles).
It was established on February 20, 1852, by a decree of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. For many years it was located in the Uffizi Gallery.
On November 4, 1966, the Arno River flooded, damaging more than 60,000 items. This disaster led to the building of a modern archive away from the river. A new archive building, designed by architects Italo Gamberini, Rosario Vernuccio, Franco Bonaiuti, and Loris Macci, was constructed from 1974 to 1989 and included a conservation laboratory to restore damaged documents.
Between 1987 and 1988, archival materials were transferred from the Uffizi to the current site at Viale della Giovine Italia 6, near Piazza Cesare Beccaria in Florence. The building houses the archive’s staff and facilities, including conservation work.
The current director is Michele Di Sivo. The archives are staffed by professionals, including Gaetano Milanesi among others.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:03 (CET).