The Archives, which are located on the upper floor of the villa, contain numerous Funds that constitute the documentary section of the Foundation and belonged to the protagonists of the cultural scene of the early twentieth century: among others, the extremely rich archives of
Papini
,
Accounts
,
Pavolini
,
Carocci
,
Contri
,
Merian
,
Ferrero
,
Viani
,
Pea
,
Sanminiatelli
,
Balilla Pratella
and a rich library collection on Futurism consisting mostly of first editions.
Altogether, this is a heritage of more than one hundred thousand documents, variously distributed among missives, manuscripts, drawings and period photographs.
The material is divided within each Fund in alphabetical and chronological order, daily available to a specialized audience consisting of scholars and researchers.
Also noteworthy for its historical and literary interest is the rich collection of Futurist magazines, newspapers and periodicals including the 1909 issue of “Le Figaro” in which the first Futurist manifesto came out, the complete collection of the original Futurist Manifestos, the initial series of the magazine “Noi” with woodcuts by Enrico Prampolini, and the collection of the small Florentine magazine “L’Enciclopedia,” considered one of the rare examples of Italian Dada.
Also noteworthy is the extensive library, located in the room reserved for consultation, which holds within it numerous volumes consisting mostly of exhibition catalogs, publications of studies pertaining to the pictorial-literary movements of the early 20th century in Italy and Europe, and editions of correspondence between various figures of 20th-century culture. Works are consultable but excluded from loan. These are publications that belonged to the Master, purchased, the result of exchange with other institutions, catalogs of exhibitions in which the Foundation participated as a lender. Also kept in the reference room is the collection of catalogs and brochures covering the years 1913-1970, an integral part of the
Conti Fund
.
The Foundation’s library holdings also consist of the rich library of the
Gioacchino Contri Fund
, the Maestro’s private library, and the small libraries attached to the various Documentary Funds; in all, it consists of about three thousand five hundred units.
PHOTOGALLERY
