Special collections 
Economics and Management Library (BEC)

Originally, the documents were stored in 12 containers without any particular order, except for the two folders containing the correspondence (folders VII and VII bis).

At least two previous reorganization efforts had taken place, the first conducted by Luzzatto's niece. The most recent intervention resulted in a provisional tool for archival consultation (as intended by its curator), which required further integration and correction.

This led to the creation of a new tool, better described as a "catalogue" rather than a true inventory, as the reorganization was not carried out according to strict archival criteria, such as structuring the documentation into archival series. The previous cataloging work increased the volume of material, making it necessary in some cases to split folders into two separate containers (designated by the original Roman numeral followed by the letter A or B). The archive had thus assumed a fixed structure: a reorganization based on archival series – categorized, for example, by subject or historical period – would have introduced further arbitrariness to that already present due to earlier cataloging efforts, potentially disrupting existing logical connections among the documents. It was therefore impossible to reorder the documentation without altering the archive's original structure.

The impossibility of reordering, however, highlighted the need to address the insufficient archival rigor inherent in a cataloging-based operation, suggesting the possibility of creating a true parallel virtual inventory, which could coexist with the original catalogue and be consulted online. This led to the development of an inventory organized by archival series that identified the nature of the documents, categorizing them into manuscripts, typescripts, printed works, photographs, drawings, and letters. Based on this catalogue, other virtual inventories could later be created, structured by alternative series (such as historical periods or subjects), thereby avoiding physical reorganization of the materials and preserving potential connections among the documents.

The archive's documentation is diverse in both nature and content, including, for example, bibliographic cards, archival notes, essays, reviews (by Luzzatto or other authors concerning his works), photographs of documents, newspaper articles, correspondence, and more.

The correspondence is of particular interest: it is preserved in two folders, VII and VII/bis, with the documents (1236 letters) grouped into 13 files. The letters, sequentially numbered (likely by Luzzatto's niece), are not arranged in chronological or alphabetical order. Most are letters received by Luzzatto. The final portion (from letter 1077 to 1236) comprises correspondence with economist Ernesto Rossi. The correspondence spans the years 1935 to 1964, the year of Luzzatto's death. However, the correspondence is not confined to the two folders, as other letters are found in additional folders.

In File 5 of Folder III in the “catalogue,” an example of the analytical cataloging of archival cards undertaken by Luzzatto is provided. This example, while not adhering to archival criteria, illustrates the research potential of such a wealth of archival information for those studying medieval economic history using Venetian sources. The card can become a valuable research tool, sometimes indicating a source that has been lost, and, when it includes at least a summary or better yet a transcription, the card itself becomes an archival source. It should be noted, however, that the archival locations cited on the corresponding webpage are those provided by Luzzatto and may not match those currently used by the Venetian State Archive (A.S.V.).

Below are clarifications regarding certain terms used to classify the documents:

Archival cards generally follow this structure:

• Date of the document (year, month, day)
• Subject and/or (where applicable) a brief summary
• Archival location

Archival notes follow the same structure as archival cards but include summaries and/or transcriptions of the document as well as personal reflections.

Bibliographic cards provide bibliographic details of works: author, title, year, and sometimes location, publisher, and page references.

In some cases, distinguishing between these categories proved difficult. When unpublished documents had a title, it was enclosed in quotation marks. If no author was indicated, G. Luzzatto was assumed to be the author.

For a complete bibliography of Gino Luzzatto, refer to the Proceedings of the conference "Gino Luzzatto, storico dell’economia, tra impegno civile e rigore scientifico" (Gino Luzzatto, historian of the economy, between civic engagement and scientific rigor), held in Venice at the Ateneo Veneto on November 5–6, 2004, edited by Paola Lanaro, in «Ateneo Veneto», 2005, no. 1.