The Archive of Catania was established in 1854 as the Provincial Archive alongside the intendency, in implementation of the organic law on civil administration of December 12, 1816, and the organic law on archives of August 1, 1843.
By virtue of Royal Decree no. 1391 of September 22, 1932, it was reorganized and took the name of Provincial State Archive, later changed by Law no. 2006 of December 22, 1939, to State Archive Section.
It gained its current configuration and name under Presidential Decree no. 1409 of September 30, 1963. Documentation relating to the Catania territory can be found both at the subordinate State Archive Section of Caltagirone and at the municipal library of Giarre.
Indeed, it houses, on a provisional basis, what remains of the 17th-19th century Mascali county archive, which is currently not accessible because it is disorganized and requires extensive restoration work.
In a completely provisional way, the joined Civic and Ursino libraries of Catania hold the parchments from the Benedictine collection, stored in the State Archive, along with other archival collections. Many municipal archives also preserve state documentation (mainly from judicial magistracies); examples include Adrano, Acireale, Mascalucia, Mineo, and Vizzini.
