Real Site of Carditello, agreement signed to enhance ten centuries of historical documents

The Royal Site of Carditello Foundation and the General Directorate for Archives of the Ministry of Culture have signed an institutional agreement for the promotion and enhancement of the historical and artistic heritage related to the archival complex linked to the Royal Palace of Caserta. The agreement, which also involves the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Campania and the State Archives of Caserta, provides for close collaboration between the signing institutions, each of which will provide economic resources, technical expertise and personnel. The stated common goal is to enhance, while maintaining respect for each other’s autonomy, the vast archival documentation relating to the Royal Site of Carditello, an integral part of the so-called Historical Archives of the Royal Palace of Caserta. This documentation became part of the heritage of the State Archives of Caserta last November, following an intervention by the General Directorate of Archives that allowed its acquisition and transfer.

“The ambitious challenge,” says the president of the Carditello Royal Site Foundation, Maurizio Maddaloni, “is to develop a wide-ranging project to promote integrated tourist itineraries with the Royal Palace of Caserta and other Bourbon residences through the use of the historical documentation of Carditello. We are working hard with the State Archives of Caserta to organize an exhibition on the productive excellences of the Royal Estate and to define a Strategic Plan for the tourist-cultural development and landscape enhancement of the Royal Site of Carditello and the adjoining areas.”

“The agreement signed with the Fondazione Real Sito di Carditello,” says Antonio Tarasco, director general of Archives at the Ministry of Culture, “represents a virtuous example of interinstitutional collaboration aimed at safeguarding and enhancing the national documentary heritage. The archival fund on the Royal Site of Carditello, because of its historical and cultural relevance, deserves to be fully restored to public use, including through the use of digital technologies. This agreement shows how the State Archives can act as catalysts for the development of shared planning, capable of combining protection, knowledge and enhancement of the territory.”

The archival complex covered by the agreement represents a resource of extraordinary importance for the historical reconstruction of the territory. It consists of about 10,000 envelopes and volumes containing documents covering a time span of more than five centuries, from the 15th century to the first half of the 20th century. A mass of material that testifies to the administrative, economic and managerial evolution of royal properties in Terra di Lavoro, with particular attention to the Carditello Estate. The Historical Archives includes, among others, fonds concerning the administration of Caserta, San Leucio, Carditello and Calvi. Particularly relevant is the fund called “Intendenza generale poi Amministrazione provinciale dei beni della Real Casa in Napoli,” which includes the Agency of the Royal Estates of Caserta, Carditello and Calvi and the Office of the Royal Hunts of Carditello. This is a heterogeneous and articulated set of documentation that is fundamental to the study of the institutional and territorial transformations of the pre- and post-unification Mezzogiorno. The transfer of the documentary fund from the Reggia di Caserta Museum to the State Archives was made possible thanks to the joint action of the General Directorate for Archives and the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Campania, which favored the operation in a logic of strengthening the archival network in the territory.

“The strategy of the General Directorate of Archives,” explains the director of the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Campania, Gabriele Capone, “finds fulfillment through the peripheral institutes with the signing of agreements that enhance in one the archival heritage and the cultural realities present in the territory of Caserta.”

“This agreement represents a further step in the enhancement of Caserta’s extraordinary documentary heritage. We are proud,” concludes the director of the State Archives of Caserta, Fortunata Manzi, “to be able to contribute to the strategic lines indicated by the Administration.”

Among the activities included in the agreement is first and foremost the digitization of archival series and subseries related to the administration of the Royal Estate of Carditello. The operation will be conducted in compliance with the standards defined by the Ministry of Culture and under the scientific supervision of the State Archives of Caserta, which is responsible for the preservation and processing of the fonds. The goal of the digitization is twofold: on the one hand, to ensure the protection and preservation of the documents by reducing the direct use of the originals; on the other hand, to encourage wider accessibility by scholars, researchers and the general public. The agreement also provides for the implementation of cultural initiatives aimed at enhancing the documentary heritage. These include the organization of thematic exhibitions and displays, including those in multimedia format, which will enable the public to be given a contextualized reading of the documents. Scientific and popular publications based on the analysis of the funds will also be produced, which can offer new insights for historical, economic, social and artistic research on the Kingdom of Naples and its territorial articulations. There will be no shortage of structured research projects, promoted by the Foundation in collaboration with the State Archives, aimed at investigating specific aspects of the management of the Royal Estate of Carditello. The investigations may be extended to comparisons with other Italian or European contexts, highlighting peculiarities and continuities in the systems of governance of the territory and agricultural and hunting resources. To this end, the agreement contemplates the possibility of activating synergies with other institutions, public and private, Italian and foreign, that share objectives and areas of intervention. The implementation of the projects envisaged in the agreement will be jointly monitored by the parties involved, who undertake to periodically check the progress of activities and promote any updates to the program.

Real Site of Carditello, agreement signed to enhance ten centuries of historical documents

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