FSCIRE is a research institute specialized in the History of Christianity and its relationship with other religions.
FSCIRE was founded by Giuseppe Dossetti and directed by Giuseppe Alberigo until 2007, is a research institution that publishes, trains, serves, organizes, welcomes and communicates research in the field of religious sciences, with particular regard to Christianity, Islam and the religions with which they have been in contact. It was established in 1953 first as a library, then as a research institute, and in 1990 was formally recognized as a Foundation by a decree of the President of the Italian Republic. FSCIRE libraries and archives are the pillars upon which the research activity conducted at the institute rests. Their collections mirror the evolution of the institute and its research pipelines.
FSCIRE participates in and promotes cooperation with international research centres and networks. Some of the core research experiences of the institute (such as the History of Vatican II, the edition of the Decrees of the Councils of all Churches, the edition of the Diaries of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli/Pope John XXIII) were made possible by consolidated collaborations which became means for training generations of scholars. Such a tradition is maintained through ongoing projects, like the research conducted on the History of the Desire for Christian Unity.
Thanks to its leading position and strategic capability to offer a unique set of sources for research, in 2014 FSCIRE was recognised by the FOE (National Ordinary Fund for research Institutions) as a national research infrastructure of excellence for religious studies and officially mentioned in the PNR (National Research Program) 2015-2020. As a private foundation, independent of churches and universities, its continuous work is supported by private and public donations: among others a program agreement concluded with the Italian Ministry of Research – MIUR (2016-2021), and with the Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration.