KONGRE BİLDİRİLERİ
Digitization of the archival fonds ‘Records of the extraordinary governors for Kotor and Albania
during the Venetian Government’, and its web publishing
Introduction
In the Kotor Historical Archives, Department of the State Archives of Montenegro,1 the project of
digitization of a very significant archival fonds „Records of the extraordinary governors for Kotor and
Albania during the Venetian Government“, is being implemented. The project is financially supported
by the Veneto Region from the funds intended for the preservation and presentation of cultural heritage
created during the Venetian rule in Istria and Dalmatia.2 Two NGOs from Montenegro, i.e. Kotor,
have applied on the competition of the Veneto Region for financing of projects in 2010, and again for
the project in 2011: 1. Centre for the preservation and presentation of Kotor’s documentary heritage
“Notar” – Kotor,3 and 2. Community of Italians of Montenegro – Kotor.4 The project leader is the
organization “Notar”.
According to the Project activities the scanning and processing is planned 40 volumes of this
archival fonds using the appropriate software. Otherwise, the archival fonds has 228 archival units
(documents in bundles of various sizes).5 Due to the reduction of the project budget and delays in the
payment by the donor – Veneto Region, “Notar” had to reduce certain items in the project proportionally
to the approved sum, particularly those ones concerning quantity of documents planned for scanning,
processing and publishing on the web. In the First phase of the project 17 folders (19 volumes) were
processed and published. In the Second phase, according to the approved sum, additionally 12 folders
will be processed. So, for now, through the First and Second phases, this archival fonds will be
presented on the web portal with the description of 29 archival folders and with about 20.000 digital
images. Two NGOs keep trying to find financial support for the digitization of all documents of this
archival fonds.
About the Content and Significance of the Archival Fonds „Records of the extraordinary
governor...“
The title of this archival fonds is: “Administrative and political records of the extraordinary
governors of the Venetian Republic”6, with the signature ME DACG IAK UPM. It contains the records
created in the office of the Venetian authorities,7 which was situated in Kotor from 1420 to 1797.
1 See more: www.dacg.me.
2 Announcement of the Regional Manager of the International Relations, Cooperation, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Department,
Regional Law No 15 from 1994, “Interventi per il recupero, la conservazione e la valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale di origine veneta
nell’Istria e nella Dalmazia” in the framework of its Regional Programme for the year 2010. (www.regione.veneto.it)
3 The Centre for preservation and presentation of Kotor’s documentary heritage - “Notar”, Kotor, is a non-governmental organization, founded
in December of 1999. With the activities envisaged by the programme this organization has got the intention of acting professionally on expert,
scientific and general public in Montenegro and abroad, with the scope of adequate appraisal of written sources and early printed material
deposited within cultural institutions of the state, church and private archives and libraries. The Centre acts in the direction of stimulating the
interest of international professional and scientific quarters for this kind of Kotor’s heritage, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO List of
world cultural heritage since 1979. (www.cdknotar.org)
4 See more: www.comunitaitaliana.me
5 The value of the Project was estimated at € 51.302,00. However, the donor – Veneto Region first approved € 15.000,00 for the project in 2010.
The funds were paid to the NGO “Notar” in two tranches during 2011 and the mid-2012. Both NGOs have applied for the contest of Veneto
Region again in 2010 for the funding of projects which should be implemented during 2011. The donor has approved the amount of € 20.000,00
for the Second phase of the same project at the beginning of 2012 and it will be paid in two rates too. Thus, the organization “Notar” continues
now with the next phase (digitization of the next 12 folders).
6 In Montenegrin language: Upravno-politički spisi vanrednih providura Mletačke republike (UPM) and in Italian: Atti del Proveditore
estraordinario di Catta