The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

THE PAPAL ARCHIVES. I33
Vitelli/ and continued the transference of manuscripts from
Avignon to Rome which had been undertaken by his prede-
cessor. ^ In the spring of 1567 the Pope gave orders for tlie
preparation of a place in the Vatican to serve as a secret
archivium for the more important acta? while a special pro-
vision of 1566 den It with the preservation of ancient docu-
ments."* A motu proprio of August 19th, 1568, ordered the
compilation of a full and detailed catalogue of all manuscripts
relating to the Roman Church, but tlic plan, like that of
Pius IV. of forming a central archivium, met with insuperable
difificulties. Apart from the fact that the Church was at that
time faced v/ith more pressing undertakings, the necessary
conditions and powers were lacking.^
On the other hand the efforts which Pius V. made on behalf
of the Roman University were crowned with success.
Although, at the end of the XVIIIth century, Pavia showed,
by the erection of a monument, its gratitude for the foundation
of the Collegio Ghislieri, which was founded to receive 24
students for the University there,*' no outward sign records
the services of Pius V. to the Roman institution, which,
* See the *report of Firmanus of November 19, 1568, Papal
Secret Archives.
" See MuNTZ, La bibl. du Vatican, Paris, 1886, T15 seq.
2 See Lanciani, IV., 8.
* See Orbaan, Een pauselijk verbod tegen bet opgebruiken van
handschriften, in Tydschrift van boek en bibliotheekwczen, 1907,
Pius V. also insisted that the nuncios should keep a record of
their dispatches ; see Niimiat. di Polonia, I., 18 (instructions of
April 19, 1567). Papal Secret Archives.
* Opinion of Sickel, Be'trage, I., 13 seq. ; 16 seq. ; II., 86 seq. ;
Marini, Mem. d. archivi, 25 seq. ; Studi e dociim., VII L, 12 ;
Merkle, L, xix., civ.
* For the Collegio Ghislieri, which still exists to-day, though in
a different form, see Ladercht, 1571, n. 159 ; Bonanni, I., 295 ;
Venuti, 132 ; Bruzzone, Bjsco, II., io6 seq. ; 366 seq. ; Riv. di
Alessandria, XIII., 6i seq. ; Uel Giudice in Rendiconti del R.
Istit. Lomb., 2^ vSerie, XXIII. (1890) ; E. Galetti, II Collegio
Ghislieri di Pavia, Pavia, 1890; Bibl. Corvisieri, II., 401;
Dell'Acqua, 51 seq.