The istitutions visited up to now are as follows:
In Italy - In Europe
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Alessandro
Scalzi called "Il Paduano"
Frescos of the "NARRENTREPPE"
Castle of Trausnitz (Bavaria)
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MANTOVA
Archivio di Stato
The Archivio Gonzaga, where most documents have been inventoried, is the main source of our research.
Other archive collections are not to be neglected, such as Fondo Notarile and
Autografi.
Biblioteca Teresiana
The wide collection of ancient volumes is an extremely interesting source, both of chronicles of celebrations and performances,
and of dramatic texts
BOLOGNA
Archivio di Stato
The main sources are the documents produced by the town authorities (the Senate and the Papal Legate): licences, diaries, bans. The correspondence of the major families of the town will also have to be considered, although such documents are much more complex and, for the most part, not inventoried.
BRESCIA
Archivio di Stato
The archive doesn’t hold specific documents (the information about theatrical activities is more abundant after 1700).
We are following indications found in some XVI century chronicles.
FERRARA
Archivio di Stato
The most interesting source is the Bentivoglio-D’Aragona archive.
FIRENZE
Archivio di Stato
The Archivio Mediceo holds a very remarkable amount of documents regarding the Comici dell’Arte. We started from some folders mostly holding Giovanni de’ Medici’s correspondence, and initially made a general survey so as to define the relationship between the Medici and the Gonzaga. Some folders regarding the correspondence of Ambassadors coming from the Imperial Court (from Prague and Wien in particular) have also been considered.
MILANO
Archivio di Stato
There’s a large number of documents in the Cancellerie dello
Stato collection, (1535-1623). A noteworthy collection is Autografi where, under the entry Teatrica, many documents about the Comici dell’Arte are held.
MODENA
Archivio di Stato
The starting point is an interesting Subject Archive. The Estensi documentation is extremely wide and important for our research.
Archivio Storico Comunale
The Deliberazioni Consigliari have proved to be valuable sources.
We are also investigating the Account Books and the Correspondence.
Biblioteca Estense
Among the large amount of extremely interesting material, the Autografi Campori and ancient dramatic printed texts are worthy of mention.
NOVELLARA (Reggio Emilia)
Archivio Storico Comunale
The Archivio Gonzaga holds a very important collection of autograph letters by Giaches de Wert.
PADOVA
Archivio di Stato
There is no theatrical collection pertaining the period considered in our research. However, the Archivi Privati and some miscellaneous collections will have to be examined.
In the Archivio Notarile collection is kept the first know contract of a Comici dell'Arte company (1545).
PARMA
Archivio di Stato
Extensive interesting documentation, above all the Teatri e Spettacoli Farnesiani (recently reorganized), the Archivio Gonzaga, the Autografi Illustri and the Raccolta manoscritti collections.
ROMA
Archivio di Stato
Some interesting documents have been collected from the Camerale collection, especially the sections Tesoreria Segreta, Arti e Mestieri, Teatri, and in the Notari del Tribunale delle Acque collection. The valuable Archivio dei bandi can be examined in the Archive Library.
Biblioteca Cenesatense
This library holds an important collection of dramatic texts. In the manuscript collection the codex 4186 in worthy of notice, as including scenarios of the Commedia dell’Arte.
Biblioteca Teatrale del Burcardo
This library holds some autograph letters by Comici dell'Arte
ROMA – CITTÀ DEL VATICANO
Archivio Segreto Vaticano
The Miscellanea, the Armadi I-XV, the Bandi Sciolti and the
Camera Apostolica collections are particularly interesting. The collections called
Carte borghese e Carte Farnesiane are also worthy of notice.
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
The documents in the Manuscript Room are particularly valuable. The Barberini, Chigi and Urbinate collections are worthy of notice.
TORINO
Archivio di Stato – Corte
The collections regarding Monferrato and foreign courts are remarkably interesting. Further study must be devoted to the indexes called Storia della Real Casa, Matrimoni, Cerimoniale and Lettere ministri.
Archivio di Stato – Camerale
Articolo 689, Patenti Controllo Finanze, where a long list of payments to actors is recorded, is worthy of attention. Further study must be devoted to Articolo 973, Mandati e discarichi ai contabili del Monferrato and Articolo 922, Instrumenti dei notai del
Monferrato.
TRENTO
Biblioteca Comunale
This library holds a conspicuous collection of manuscripts items. At the moment a worthnotice document is the "Relazione del passaggio degli Arciduchi d'Austria a Mantova" (december 1563).
VENEZIA
Archivio di Stato
Among the remarkable amount of archive material, we started examining the
Cerimoniali, which furnish documents on the Gonzaga’s stay in Venice, and the
Dispacci di ambasciatori dalla Corte Cesarea. Some volumes from the
Senato – Dispacci di ambasciatori – Germania (from Prague and Wien) have been examined.
VERONA
Archivio di Stato
The Archive doesn’t hold specific documentation.
The relationships between Mantua and the Rectors of the Town must be investigated considering a wide number of archives holding the Transactions of the Town Council and of the Administration.
We are following indications found in XV, XVI and XVII century chronicles and reports.
Biblioteca dell'Accademia Filarmonica
Among the Atti dell'Accademia is recorded a correspondence with the actress Isabella Andreini.
Biblioteca Civica
This library holds an interesting collection of manuscript correspondence and many XVI century prints.
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Antonio
Ponzano
Frieze on the ceiling
Castle of Trausnitz (Bavaria)
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In Europe
ANTWERPEN
Stadsarchief
A preliminary survey of the Certificatieboeken, Insolvente, Boedels, and
Privilegekamer collections allowed us to find interesting documents concerning the trips of Comici dell’Arte to the Flanders.
Stadsbibliotheek
The library holds a considerable amount of bibliographies, which have been a fundamental aid in the archival research. A field to be further explored is that of ceremonial entrances
(blijde inkomsten).
BRUSSEL / BRUXELLES
Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België / Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique
The manuscript section, beside useful bibliographies, holds the autograph letters sent by Isabella Andreini to the Flemish scholar
Erycius Puteauns.
GENT
Stadsarchief
A preliminary survey of the Stadsrekeningen collection allowed us to find the records of many payments to Italian
actors.
MADRID
A large amount of documents concerning Italian actors’ activities in the area is held at the
Archivio Regional (especially the Libro de Asiento de
Comedias), the Archivio Historico National and the
Archivio Historico de Protocolos. A visit to the manuscript section of the
Biblioteca National and at the Biblioteca Francisco de Zabàlburu allowed us to identify important fields of research and to find useful bibliographic tools.
MÜNCHEN
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv
A preliminary visit allowed us to locate interesting documents in the
Geheimes Archiv and other collections, such as Korrespondenz-Acten and
Auswärtige Staaten.
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
The library also includes a manuscript section which will be examined later. The bibliographies have proved to be helpful and have been a useful tool for our archive research.
PARIS
At the Archives Nationales (at the moment held in the
Salle Labrouste of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France) we have started collecting material held in the
Minutier Central (notarial), a collection which will examined further with the additional help of recent publications. At the branch of Rue de Francs Bourgeois (which is closed for refurbishing at the present moment, but can be visited by appointment) we have collected some Decrees from the
Registres du Parlament, Conseil collection. The account books in the
Trésorerie de l’Espagne will also have to be examined.
At the section Manuscrits Occidentaux of the Bibliothèque Nationale (which is extremely rich in manuscript documents, as is very well known), we have started surveying the extremely large amount of catalogues and inventories; sections of diplomatic correspondence classified by country being absent, we have begun examining sections of the
Fonds Clairambault, the Fonds des 500 de Colbert, the
Fonds Français, the Fonds Italiens, and the
Pièces Originales.
At the Bibliothèque de l’Opéra, a small envelope containing some autograph letters by Italian actors has proved to be precious.
VALLADOLID
The existence of interesting documents at the Archivio Historico Provincial and at the
Archivio del Ayuntamento is worthy of notice.
WIEN
The extremely abundant documentation in Wien is held in various archives, the
Österreichisches Haus- Hof- und Staatsarchiv, the Hofkammerarchiv, the
Allgemaines Verwaltungsarchif, beside the manuscript and incunabula section of the
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.
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