The Lombroso Museum archive is made up of three sections, collected in different periods and thus held during the reorganisation and inventory process. The first, known as the Historical Archive, is believed to have been received by the museum in 1947 and contains 1,185 archival pieces. Two bodies of documents have been derived from the historical archive during the inventory process: the first, known as the Cesare Lombroso Museum Collection includes photographs, drawings of tattoos, portraits and manuscripts that make up part of the museum itself or of the documentation produced by it. The second, known as the Cesare Lombroso Collection relates to Cesare Lombroso’s career and studies and contains a part of his correspondence.
In 2009, on the occasion of the reopening of the museum, the descendants of Paola and Mario Carrara and of Gina and Guglielmo Ferrero donated an enormous quantity of archival and bibliographical assets. The Carrara Endowment, the legacy of the bequest of Luigi and Mario Carrara, is formed of two collections, totalling 1,750 archival pieces. The first, named the Cesare Lombroso Collection (1856–1909), contains letters received by the scientist between 1865 and 1909 in connection with his academic and legal work and written by scientists, artists and Italian politicians. The Mario Carrara Collection (1895–1937) is made up of documents relating to the academic career of Lombroso’s son-in-law, including items relating to his rejection of the fascist oath of allegiance and his subsequent expulsion from the university. The documents collected under the name Ferrero Endowment, originally preserved in the Ferrero family villa in Ulivello, Tuscany, has been donated by the American citizen Bosiljka Raditsa. The material is subdivided into 200 archival units relating to Cesare Lombroso and his daughter Gina: the Cesare Lombroso Collection (1865–1909) is made up of letters written and received by Lombroso, and by work notes and drafts of publications; the other nucleus, named the Gina Lombroso Collection (1889–1932) includes drafts of the biography of Cesare Lombroso written by his daughter, as well as letters relating to this book and other works by Gina Lombroso.
For a comprehensive inventory of these documents, see the website of the Historical Archive of the University of Turin.
