Memorie della Chiesa di Molfetta

Abstract The archives of the Church of Molfetta differ from other archival collections of the Terra di Bari for the scarcity of sources predating the sixteenth century and the absence of systematic inventories, summaries and critical editions of the surviving parchments. This study attempts to fill the gap by providing summaries of 21 documents, 2 records and 3 inserts contained within 20 manuscripts dated to between 1162 and 1481, currently divided between the collections of the Cathedral Chapter and the Bishop’s Curia of the Diocesan Archive, and that of the Library of the Episcopal Seminary of Molfetta. Specifically, it examines the holdings of the two institutions, their current manuscript collections, the available aids to consultation, and the historical circumstances that have led to the progressive depletion of this archival heritage over the centuries. Moreover, by distinguishing between parchments directly related to the Church of Molfetta and those incorporated into the archives at a later date, the study proposes a diplomatic and content-based classification of the material. It also includes an analysis of the chronological conventions employed and presents some preliminary findings that shed new light on the history of the Church and Chapter of Molfetta.