Nell’Archivio del Presidente dei Musei Capitolini: Giuseppe Melchiorri tra "stato degli impiegati" e pubblico intorno al 1847

The “Presidenze e Deputazioni – Presidenza dei Musei Capitolini” archive at the Archivio Storico Capitolino in Rome keeps substantial documents which are essential to reconstruct the history of the Capitoline Museum between 1838 and 1854. Nevertheless, this documentation has been largely overlooked by recent scholars. By bringing attention to this significant source, this study aims to examine the events occurred around 1847, when the gallery was directed by the President Giuseppe Melchiorri. Recognising this as a crucial year for the museum’s expansion, the essay will focus on Melchiorri’s 1847 dossier and the correspondence on the status of the museum employees and visitors in the 1840s and 1850s. This will constitute the starting point to reflect on the museum’s regulations, the permits granted to the visitors, the staff uniforms, the gallery surveillance, as well as the complex relationship between employees and the public in the Capitoline Museum in the mid-19th century.