For more than eight centuries, the Order of Preachers has lived, studied, preached, and governed in service of the Gospel. The Archive of the Order (AGOP: Archivum Generale Ordinis Praedicatorum) preserves this memory.
Located at the General Curia of Santa Sabina in Rome, the Archive safeguards the documentary heritage of the Order: acts of General Chapters, correspondence of the Masters of the Order, canonical records, historical manuscripts, photographs, and materials that trace the missionary expansion and intellectual contribution of the Dominican Order throughout the world.
Memory in Service of Mission
The Order is universal in character and structured as a communion of convents and provinces (Fundamental Constitution VII). This global life has always required careful preservation of records, decisions, and correspondence so that continuity of mission and fidelity to charism may be maintained across generations.
The LCO requires that “principal documents” be preserved in the general archives (437 § I). The central Archive of the Order serves as the point of unity for this documentary life, ensuring that the history of provinces, missions, chapters, and governance remains safeguarded and accessible.
What the Archive Preserves
The Archive holds, among other materials:
- Acts and decrees of General Chapters (LCO 419 § I)
- Acts and decrees of Provincial Chapters (LCO 362 § IV)
- Official correspondence of Masters of the Order and Curial offices
- Reports and documentation from provinces and missions
- Historical manuscripts and rare printed materials
- Photographic and audiovisual collections
- Canonical and administrative records related to governance
- Books authored by the brothers of the Order (LCO 140)
Together, these collections document the life, discernment, and preaching mission of the Order across centuries and continents.
Study and Research
The Dominican tradition has always valued sacred study. The Archive supports historians, theologians, and members of the Dominican Family who seek to understand the development of the Order’s preaching, theology, liturgy, governance, and missionary activity.
Through preserved documents, researchers can trace:
- The growth and reconfiguration of provinces
- The development of Dominican legislation
- The intellectual and theological contributions of friars
- The Order’s responses to cultural, social, and ecclesial challenges
Access to the General Archive
Researchers who wish to consult the Archive are required to contact the Archivist in advance.
Requests should include:
- Full name and institutional affiliation
- Description of research project
- Specific topics, persons, or time periods of interest
- Proposed dates of visit
Access is granted by appointment and is subject to archival regulations and conservation requirements.
Some materials in the collection may be searched in the online catalogue, available through the library of the Angelicum. (Please note researchers should select “Biblioteca di Santa Sabina.”)
Contact:
Archive of the Order of Preachers
General Curia, Santa Sabina
Piazza Pietro d’Illiria, 1
00153 Roma
Email: archivum@curia.op.org