SOCIETÀ E DEPUTAZIONI DI STORIA PATRIA. — Cultural institutions whose principal purpose is the investigation and publication of historical sources relating to the territory of their respective jurisdictions, with chronological limits predominantly within the medieval period.
The first of its kind arose in Turin, where it was established by Carlo Alberto, by royal patent of 20 April 1833, with the task of providing for the «publication of a collection of unpublished or rare works belonging to our history, and of a diplomatic code of our States»; its sphere of activity was later extended by Vittorio Emanuele II, through R. D. of 21 February 1860, to the Lombard provinces recently annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. It was followed, through the initiative of L. C. Farini, dictator of the Romagne, by the three D. for the provinces of Parma, Modena and Romagna, founded in 1859; by that for Tuscany and Umbria (1862), which, after extending its jurisdiction over the Marches (1863), gave rise to the D. for the Marches in 1890 and, in 1896, to the D. for Umbria. In chronological succession came the Venetian D. (1874), the Roman S. di s. p. (1876), the municipal D. di s. p. of Ferrara (1883), the Abruzzese historical S. (1888), transformed in 1910 into the D. di s. p. for the Abruzzi, the Sienese Commission di s. p. (1894), the Provincial Commission of Archaeology and s. p. of Bari (1894), the Friulian historical S. (1911), transformed in 1918 into the D. di s. p. for Friuli, the Sicilian D. (1924), and the D. for Malta (1934).
For the coordination of historical research and working methods, so that the activity of each historical institute might proceed according to a unified orientation, after the unsuccessful attempts first made at various historical congresses and then through the creation of the Italian Historical Institute, a Central Board for Historical Studies was finally established by R. D. L. of 20 July 1934, no. 1226. The individual institutions came under its authority, and subsequently, through the later R. D. L. of 20 June 1935, no. 1176, the old regional historical societies were transformed into
D., which were at the same time all placed under a single set of regulations. There thus resulted 17 D., one for each region of Italy (including Malta and Rhodes), which were regarded as local bodies of the aforementioned Central Board (art. 1). Possessing legal personality, the various D. consisted of three categories of persons (deputies, corresponding members, and members) and were governed by executive councils composed of a president, a vice-president, and two deputies (arts. 4–5). These were appointed by the Head of State on the proposal of the Minister of National Education, after consultation with the Board concerning the executive bodies and with the D. itself concerning all the deputies; for the corresponding members, who were designated by their respective D., the minister’s simple assent was sufficient. The members, moreover, were admitted without limitation as to number, on the judgment of the executive bodies. Each D. could also have several sections (generally headquartered in the provincial capitals), carrying out activities analogous to those of the D. on which they depended (art. 20), and governed by a Directorate composed of a president and two deputies (art. 18).
A further reorganization of the Italian historical institutions was undertaken several years ago through D. L. of the Provisional Head of State of 24 January 1947, no. 345. By virtue of this decree, the De Vecchi law of 1935 having been repealed, all the D. and S. recognized by the State before 28 October 1922 were restored to existence and given the fullest legal and administrative autonomy. Alongside the older institutions, however, the more recent D. for Apulia, Calabria, Lucania, and Sardinia, established in 1935, continued to exist.
The activity of each individual S. and D. di s. p. is expressed through the periodic publication of Atti e memorie, Archivi storici, Bollettini, Miscellanee, etc. A brief list of the principal publications is given here (the figure in parentheses indicates the initial year): Turin: Historiae patriae monumenta (1836); Biblioteca storica italiana (1884); Miscellanea di storia italiana (1862); Biblioteca di storia italiana recente (1907). Romagna: Atti e memorie (1862). Liguria: Atti della S. Ligure di s. p. (1858); Rivista di studi liguri (1934). Sardinia: Archivio storico sardo (1905). Marches: Atti e memorie (1895); Fonti per la storia delle Marche (1896). Provinces of Modena: Atti e memorie (1862). Provinces of Parma: Archivio storico per le province parmensi (1892). Apulia: Japigia (1930). Ferrara: Atti e memorie (1889). Rome: Archivio della S. romana di s. p. (1878). Tuscany: Archivio storico italiano (founded by G. P. Viesieux in 1842); Documenti di storia italiana (1867); Biblioteca storica toscana (1923). Veneto: Miscellanea di storia veneta (1881); Monumenti storici (1876). Friuli: Memorie storiche forogialiesi (1905). Naples: Archivio storico per le province napoletane (1876). Sicily: Archivio storico siciliano (1873).