Historical Archive

A unique cultural heritage that bears witness to the Institute's activities over the centuries

It preserves the memory of this old institution and those who lived there.

The documentation is accessible from the reading room in the Innocenti A.C. Moro Library.

Area di attività

Promoting and popularising its heritage
Documentation
Interno dell'Archivio con librerie a parete ricolme di libri e registri

The Archive holds the historical documentation of the Istituto degli Innocenti.

Created for management purposes, it currently preserves unparalleled evidence to reconstruct the evolution of the reception system, care practices and culture of childhood, and trace the identity of the children received in the historical Hospital.

Since 2019, the Archive has been included in the Museum itinerary thanks to a large window that allows visitors to look onto its rooms, in particular, the large hall that was frescoed and furnished in the 18th century inside the former men’s refectory.

    L’Archivio storico dell’Istituto degli Innocenti

    L’Archivio storico dell’Istituto degli Innocenti
    Contacts
    Contact person

    Documentary Heritage

    libri storici esposti su uno scaffale

    The Archive preserves over 13,000 archival units dating from the 13th to the 20th century, including the 'recognition signs' of the abandoned children (dating back to the 19th century) and important period photographic collections.

    The documents include the papers produced by the Institute while performing its institutional activities, the collections of private citizens that came to it through bequests, and the collections of secular and religious bodies that have been associated with the Institute over the centuries.

    Thanks to its chronological completeness and variety, this heritage contributes to reconstructing the history of Tuscany from a social and economic point of view and in terms of its customs and traditions.

    Useful links

    Activities and Services

    sala con libreria a parete e tavolo centrale dotato di lampade per la consultazione dei materiali archivistici

    Except for those considered confidential or with personal or sensitive data, the documents can be consulted by everybody in accordance with the Codice dei beni culturali e del paesaggio (Code of cultural heritage and landscape) and Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003.

    The reading room is inside the Innocenti Alfredo Carlo Moro Library.

    Opening Hours

    The reading room is open from Monday to Friday, 9.30-13.00, and from Tuesday to Thursday, 14.00-17.30. The room is open to the public by appointment. Please write to: archiviostorico@istitutodeglinnocenti.it or call 055-2037397-345.

    Exhibitions and Virtual Tours

    screenshot da una mostra virtuale realizzata dall'Archivio dell'Istituto degli Innocenti su Movio

    screenshot from a virtual exhibition organised on Movio by the Archive of the Istituto degli Innocenti

    In conjunction with the Innocenti Alfredo Carlo Moro Library, the Historical Archive organises exhibitions and virtual tours on topics concerning the Institute's history and activities based on the documentation in its possession.

    Past Exhibitions:

    Chronicle of a ‘Deluge’! The Istituto degli Innocenti and the Florence Flood of 1966

    No Mother, but a Great Motherland: The Ospedale degli Innocenti Remembers Its Sons Who Fell in the Great War

    Useful links

    Last update: 01/20/2023 - 12:12