Archives

A French Egyptologist active at Medamud and Karnak, A. Varille left a collection containing thousands of photographs, correspondence with leading Egyptologists of the mid-20th century, and important working documents. 
 

Anna Maria Brizio taught Medieval and Modern Art History at the University of Milan from 1957 to 1977. Her books and personal archive, donated at the end of her career, form a cornerstone of the library’s holdings.

The archive is divided into two sections: the first includes papers, materials, and print drafts by Banfi; the second consists of documents produced by his wife Malaguzzi Valeri in the context of commemorations held in Banfi’s honour.

The Archive of the Royal Higher School of Veterinary Medicine of Milan (1807–1934) contains documents dating partly from the Napoleonic era and the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. Notably, it stands out for the richness and uninterrupted continuity of its chronological records. 

The collection, acquired by the Library in 1997, also includes working documents (letters, technical reports, etc.), publications from various institutions, and geological and topographical maps, both printed (often annotated) and hand-drawn.

Donated by his heirs, Luciano and Roberto Bassani, the archive of historian and literary critic Attilio Momigliano includes personal and family correspondence, extracts edited by the author, and inserts from volumes in his personal library.

The collection of French Egyptologist A. Mariette, founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, contains documents related to his discovery of the Serapeum of Saqqara (1850), compiled in an album. 
 

The collection of German Egyptologist B. V. Bothmer, professor at NY University and Director of the Department of Ancient Art at the Brooklyn Museum, includes dossiers, photographs, and an extensive correspondence with Egyptologists and cultural institutions. 

The personal and working archive of Professor Bruno Caizzi. His research interests focused on the Southern Question, the economic history of Lombardy, and its connections with the economy of Ticino. 
The Library also preserves the Caizzi book collection.

This archive is part of a digitisation project aimed at promoting the thought of the American philosopher. It includes microfilm copies of Peirce’s original manuscripts, totalling over 50,000 frames.

This collection was assembled and preserved by the Italian company Società Italiana per Condotte d’Acqua S.p.A., documenting their work on the relocation and conservation of the temples of Philae Island in Egypt. 

Currently undergoing reorganisation and processing, the archive includes working papers, personal documents, academic reports and drafts. Some audio-visual materials, primarily interviews and lectures, is already available in digital format.

This collection arrived at the University of Milan in two phases: first with the purchase of the Egyptologist’s library, in which numerous documents were discovered, and later as a donation from his student M. Görg. 
 

The archive includes original typewritten handouts of the courses by Giuseppe Antonio Borgese: writer, literary critic and professor of aesthetics at the University of Milan. Those materials belonged to Elvira Gandini, Borgese's student, and were donated to the library by her heirs

Donated in 2006, this collection of German demotic scholar E. Lüddeckens consists of extracts featuring annotations, dedications, and autographs from various authors. 
 

Filippo Crivelli was a director of musical theatre, drama, and television and radio productions. The archive gathers a wide range of materials related to his directorial work, spanning from the 1950s to the first decade of the 2000s.

The collection of Egyptologists G.A. Reisner and C.M. Firth was recovered within the Varille collection and contains photographs related to the Archaeological Survey of Nubia, the excavation campaign they conducted in Lower Nubia between 1907 and 1911. 
 

An English engineer who collaborated with the EEF Archaeological Survey, Fraser produced maps of the Beni Hasan and El-Bersha sites. His collection includes copies of inscriptions and graffiti, drawings of scarabs he owned, and photographs. 
 

The archive contains an extensive correspondence with prominent figures of Italian and international culture (including Croce, Mach, Pareto, and Peano), as well as notebooks and preparatory drafts for his scholarly work.

This archive documents the work and academic activities of Giulio Preti, including a substantial series of unpublished manuscripts photocopied from originals housed in the Preti Archive in Florence.

This collection includes correspondence between Botti and his family, offering insights into his career as an Egyptologist and information on the management of the Greco-Roman Museum of Alexandria and his excavations. 
 

The personal and working archive of Giuseppe Martini (Rome 1908–Milan 1979), Professor of Medieval History at the University of Milan. It includes lecture notes, academic documents, correspondence, and drafts. 

The Library also holds his book collection.

Donated by the philosopher’s widow, this archive contains notes, preparatory materials, correspondence, and a large collection of articles by and about Rensi.

The collection gathers documents related to the academic work of Neri as a scholar of aesthetics. It includes personal papers, study notebooks, notes and correspondence, as well as typescripts and manuscripts for research and study activities.

This collection comprises numerous letters sent to the German Egyptologist Brugsch by the scholar A. Mariette, along with rich correspondence between Brugsch and his colleagues A. Erman, Baron von Minutoli, J. Dümichen, and others. 
 

Recovered within the Varille Collection, this archive contains photographs of the Saqqara excavations conducted by English Egyptologist J.E. Quibell (1900-1910) and the artefacts uncovered. 
 

The Library received a donation of 151 screen-printed and offset posters from the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion in Tokyo, representing Japanese graphic design from the 1960s onwards.

The archive contains various documents (1836–1981) produced and received by Eugenio Torelli Viollier, or related to his role as founder and director of Corriere della Sera. 

The library also preserves the associated book collection.  

Donated to the Department of Philosophy by his family, this archive includes Dal Pra’s personal papers, correspondence, a collection of writings, and materials related to his academic career.

A journalist, theatre and film critic, Maurizio Porro donated a collection of 5,541 pressbooks to the Library in 2000. These pressbooks are promotional materials created and distributed by film producers to market their films.

The archive contains the working materials of Martini, a scholar of aesthetics at the Universities of Pavia and Milan. It also contains personal correspondence, studies and commemorations dedicated to Martini, and drafts of his volume La deformazione estetica

Acquired in 2000 along with the book collection of Paul Maas, the archive contains various documents extracted from the volumes, including correspondence, working notes, and articles bearing handwritten annotations by the Greek and Byzantine philologist.

The library’s photographic archive comprises 27,829 photographs and 1,238 documents. Continuously enriched over the decades, it has been an essential resource for academic teaching and research in art history for over 60 years.

The collection of French Egyptologist P. Lacau consists of correspondence with colleagues and major institutions from his years directing the Egyptian Antiquities Service, as well as numerous photographs of sites and monuments. 
 

The archive collects part of the papers by Rodolfo Mondolfo, historian of philosophy and exile in Argentina, his correspondence, essays and newspaper articles dedicated to him. The rest of the archive is located at the Turati Foundation in Florence.

Stefania Stefani Perrone was an art historian active in Varallo, where she moved in 1964 and held various institutional roles at the Pinacoteca and the Sacro Monte. This archive documents her research and professional activities.

This collection comprises 43 handwritten stage scripts from the Compagnia Reale Sarda, dating from approximately 1830 to 1855. These scripts were likely intended for Federico Ferroni, the company’s prompter or stage assistant.

This collection was identified within the archive of A. Varille and includes excavation journals documenting his discoveries in the Valley of the Kings, along with extensive correspondence with other Egyptologists and scholars. 
 

An eminent professor of Egyptology at Yale and Harvard, as well as an archaeologist and excavation director in Egypt, W.K. Simpson’s archive includes an extensive correspondence with Egyptologists and scholars from other disciplines. 
 

Acquired in 2006 by the University of Milan, the collection of Danish demotic studies scholar W. Erichsen includes research documents and letters received during his forty-year career.