«Un moderato accesso agli archivii di concerto con gli archivisti». Una visita di Francesco Bonaini agli archivi di Genova e Torino (1838)

The article analyses the relationship between historical studies, archives and the organisation of research institutions in the Kingdom of Sardinia in the first half of the 19th century. The position of archives as cultural institutions became established in Piedmont with the accession to the throne of King Carlo Alberto in 1831, which aimed to legitimise the history of the Savoy dynasty. In 1833, the creation of the Deputazione di Storia Patria sanctioned more liberal access to government archives, changing the landscape of scholarly research in Italy. Francesco Bonaini's visit to the archives of Genoa and Turin in 1838 is an example of this change. Despite initial resistance from some parts of the state apparatus, Bonaini obtained access to the archives by establishing close relations with Piedmontese historians and archivists.