The Vatican Apostolic Archive is not primarily a collection of secrets. It is primarily a functioning institutional memory system — the administrative record of a global organisation that has operated continuously for over a thousand years. Its 600+ archival fonds represent that continuity in documentary form. What it contains, and what researchers can actually access, is considerably broader than the sensationalised accounts suggest.
The Major Fonds
The archive’s holdings include: the Secretariat of State records covering papal diplomatic activity across centuries; the archives of over 75 apostolic nunciatures (papal embassies) from the 16th through 20th centuries — representing an unbroken diplomatic record from every major country in which the Church maintained a formal presence; the records of the major congregations, tribunals, and offices of the Roman Curia; the complete proceedings of the First Vatican Council (1869–1870), which defined papal infallibility; the complete proceedings of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), which transformed Catholic practice globally; and the private family archives of major Italian and European Catholic noble houses who deposited their records with the Holy See.
What Has Been Opened Recently
In 2020 Pope Francis opened the full archive of Pius XII’s pontificate (1939–1958) to researchers — the most anticipated archival opening in decades, covering the papacy’s response to the Holocaust. The opening produced immediate scholarly work across multiple universities. Each pontificate’s records are opened approximately 70 years after its close, meaning the pontificates of the mid-20th century are now progressively accessible. John XXIII (pontificate 1958–1963) and Paul VI (pontificate 1963–1978) records are the current frontier of opening.
For Researchers
The archive is open at Città del Vaticano. Current hours: Monday–Tuesday 08:00–16:15; Wednesday–Friday 08:00–12:45. Published calendars for 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 are downloadable from the archive website. Admission requires an advance request at archivioapostolicovaticano.va. Research access is granted to qualified scholars; a detailed description of the research purpose and scholarly affiliation is required.
Source: archivioapostolicovaticano.va. Archivio Apostolico Vaticano institutional documentation. Opening of Pius XII archives March 2020. Calendar 2025–2026 published by AAV.