Institutum Historicum Ordinis fratrum Praedicatorum

INSTITUTUM HISTORICUM ORDINIS FRATRUM PRAEDICATORUM
ISTITUTO STORICO DOMENICANO
DOMINICAN HISTORICAL INSTITUTE

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The Domincan Order has a long tradition of historiography. Within this venerable tradition the figures of Jacques Quétif (+ 1698) and Jacques Échard (+ 1724) deserve special mention. These two brethen published the well known Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum.

A little while after Échard's death, a group of Dominican historians gathered with Antonin Brémond at the convent of S. Maria sopra Minerva in Rome; this group published eight folios between 1729 and 1740, the Bullarium Ordinis Praedicatorum. As a result of this work the Master of the Order established, in 1748, the first College of Dominican history in Rome. Under the leadership of fr.Tommaso Mamachi de Lusignan, a group of erudite friars prepared the first volume of the Annales Ordines Praedicatorum, which was published in 1756. With the aftermath of the French Revolution and the invasion of Italy by revolutionary forces, the first Historical Institute of the Dominican Order ceased to be.

Under the mastership of Alexandre Vincent Jandel (1855-1872) historical work with relation to the Order was once again started. Thomas Bonnet started preparation of a new edition of the Scriptores. Andreas Früwirth, as Master of the Order (1891-1904), initiated the Analecta sacri ordinis Praedicatorum, as well as the other famous series, Monumenta ordinis fratrum Praedicatorum historica (MOPH).

Eventually, both at the behest of his elective chapter, and obedient to the long tradition of Dominican historiography, the Master General of the Order, Martin Stanislas Gillet (1929-1946), established a Collegium Historicum in Rome on 2 February 1930. The Collegium not only continued the Scriptores and MOPH, it also started an annual review, the Archivum fratrum praedicatorum (AFP), as well as a new series, the Dissertationes historicae (DH). In 1934 the work of Quétif and Échard was completed with the publication of an updated Scriptores, covering the time between the foundation of the Order and 1750.

Using the scientific method of contemporary historiography, Thomas Kaeppeli and Emilio Panella published, between 1970 and 1993, a new and completely revised Scriptores ordinis Praedicatorum medii aevi for the period to 1500. In 1974 the Institute was moved to the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) - and furnished with its own specialized library. Presently the library directed by Carlo Longo, and contains specialized collections amounting to over 80,000 volumes as well as precious manuscripts.

In 1992 the publication of the Dominican History Newsletter (DHN) was started. This continues, under the editorship of Arturo Bernal y Palacios, president of the Institute.