222 
Embassies of Foreign Governments 
Naples. Letter-book of legation. July, 1845, to Aug. 3, 1853. 
Papal States. Letter-book of the legation to the Holy See. Dec. 10, 1858, 
to June 4, 1861. 
There have long been also at the embassy sixteen packing-cases of materials 
sent to the legation at the time of the unification of Italy, from the closed lega¬ 
tions to the several Italian states. It was long supposed that these contained 
valuable material, but on being opened there was found only one volume of 
archives, a passport-book. Of what legation, and for what years, time did not 
suffice to discover. 
FRENCH EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE. 
The archives of the French embassy to the Holy See contain no documents 
earlier than the beginning of the eighteenth century. It seems hardly prob¬ 
able, therefore, that they contain anything relative to American history. 
They are at present in the apartments of the late embassy in the Farncse 
palace, and have been inventoried by the members of St. Louis des Frangais; 
with the closing of the embassy all means of access at Rome have disappeared ; 
but it seems probable that they will be transferred to Paris, and placed under 
the rules which govern the national archives there. 
SPANISH EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE. 
This archive is the oldest and the richest of those of the embassies at Rome. 
Since 1647 the Spanish ambassador has occupied the palace from which the 
Piazza di Spagna takes its name, and the collection has been spared removals, 
so destructive of material. 2 The scholarly archivist, Professor Santa Maria, 
has been for many years at work upon an index, which renders the work of 
investigation comparatively light. Access, of course, is by special permission 
only, and is permitted only in the case of special classes of documents. 
The following references to material relating to American history are prob¬ 
ably not all bearing on that subject, but are all that were apparent on the hasty 
examination possible. It was to be expected that more records of a routine 
character, as of nominations of bishops, would be found here; but as a matter 
of fact there seem to be only those of an exceptional nature, as of the erection 
of new sees. Note is made of those taken from the index, and of those actually 
examined. All these documents should be found, in original or in copy, in the 
archives of Spain. As is the case with nearly all diplomatic records of the 
period, they consist of loose sheets, preserved in covers ; doubtless those of an 
earlier period are in registers, and bound volumes. The references are ar¬ 
ranged in chronological order. 
R. C. May 14 [1680?]. L. 439 , no. 2. Prohibition against the entrance of 
members of religious orders in the Indies into trade and commerce. 
End of seventeenth century. L. 439 , no. 21. On the ecclesiastical sub¬ 
sidy for the defense of America. Many documents. 
R. C. Apr. 15, 1689. On the funeral office for soldiers dead in the Indies. 
Despachos 1717 . f. 190. On the appointment of an auxiliary bishop for Flor¬ 
ida. 
Despachos 1766 . ff. 202, 204, 216, 223. Facoltd to bishops for dispensations 
of the second grade. 
Despachos 1768 . On bull issued to auxiliary bishop of Cuba. 
* Ramon de Santa Maria, La Fiesta de la Concepcion, en la Antigua Iglesia de Santi¬ 
ago y San Ildefonso de los Espafioles en Roma : el ano 1715 (Roma, 1908, pp. 113). See 
also an article by the same author in the Romische Quartalschrift, XIII. 368-372. 
