Vatican Secret Archives

The Vatican Secret Archives is a vast collection of documents housed within Vatican City, containing the historical records of the Catholic Church and the papacy. Despite the name, "secret" refers to the archives' private nature, not that the information is hidden or forbidden. It includes important papers from the Middle Ages to modern times, covering religious, political, and cultural events. Access is restricted, primarily for scholars conducting research, but the archives are a valuable resource for understanding the church's influence on world history.