The State Archives of Florence and the European University Institute (EUI) have formalised a new collaboration to promote sustainability and resilience in the archival sector through two upcoming exhibitions in Florence.
The agreement was signed at Villa Salviati, home of the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU), during a visit by the Director of the State Archives of Florence Paola D’Orsi. The initiative is part of the European project SAGA (Sustainable Archives and Greener Approaches), which brings together partners from across Europe to address pressing environmental challenges affecting archival heritage. The HAEU is a partner in the Creative Europe-funded project.
Under the agreement, the State Archives of Florence will host two exhibitions developed within the framework of the SAGA project: Past and Present of Sustainability and Fragile and Resilient: Archives and Disasters. Both exhibitions will present a selection of documents from the Historical Archives of the European Union, the State Archives of Florence, and other project partners, including the national archives of Hungary, Malta, Spain and Portugal.
The first exhibition, Past and Present of Sustainability, is scheduled to open in June 2026 and will explore how sustainability has been understood and practiced over time, highlighting the role of archives in documenting environmental awareness and change. The second exhibition, Fragile and Resilient: Archives and Disasters, will follow at a later stage, focusing on the vulnerability of archival materials and the strategies developed to protect them in the face of natural and human-made threats.
SAGA is an innovative transnational European project built on a shared recognition: archives are increasingly at risk from climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters. The project aims to strengthen cooperation, develop sustainable practices, and enhance the resilience of archival institutions across Europe.
Visit the SAGA project website for more information and news.
Photo: Cristina Tani (State Archives of Florence), Paola D'Orsi (Director, State Archives of Florence, Armando Barucco (Secretary General, EUI), and Dieter Schlenker (Director, HAEU), with the newly signed agreement.