Archives are cultural institutions that collect, inventory, and preserve original documents of historical interest and ensure their consultation for study and research purposes (Italian Cultural Heritage Code – Legislative Decree No. 42/2004, Art. 101, paragraph 2, letter c).
The State Archives of Fermo is one of the one hundred State Archives operating throughout the national territory—one for each provincial capital—and falls under the authority of the Ministry of Culture.
These institutions preserve the archives of the pre-unification Italian states as well as documents produced by the judicial and administrative bodies of the unified Italian State located within their jurisdiction, relating to matters that have been closed for more than 30 years. Conscription and draft records are transferred seventy years after the birth year of the class to which they refer, while notarial archives transfer deeds drawn up by notaries who ceased practice more than one hundred years ago (Italian Cultural Heritage Code – Legislative Decree No. 42/2004, Art. 41, paragraph 1).
The State Archives also preserve other archives and individual documents received by the State on loan, deposit, or as a donation, such as private archives of significant historical interest.
They perform tasks of protection and enhancement of the documentation they hold and ensure public access by organizing, inventorying, and studying the materials. Lastly, they oversee the current and intermediate archives of the State through dedicated Supervisory Commissions (Italian Cultural Heritage Code – Legislative Decree No. 42/2004, Art. 41, paragraph 5).
