The building was for centuries the seat of the "School" (lay brotherhood) of the Flagellants of Santa Maria dei Battuti and is adjacent to the church of the same name. Established in central Italy in 1260, the Flagellant movement spread rapidly northward. The founding of the brotherhood in Belluno and the drafting of the related register date back to 1310.
In 1978, the first documents from the Military District were acquired, followed by those from the Prefecture, while a substantial amount of records was obtained during the 1990s. In 1994, the District Notarial Archive submitted the documents of the notaries of Belluno and the province drawn up from the 15th century up to the Napoleonic era.
Significant transfers were also received from the State Archives of Venice (Podestà and captaincy of Belluno; ASBL - Podestà and captaincy of Belluno, so-called Napoleonic Cadastre; Civil status; Military District matriculation roles), Treviso (Brotherhoods and corporations; Livinallongo-Ampezzo) and Trento (so-called Austrian Cadastre, series K and OC).
The Archive has also acquired some archivist funds belonging to private individuals, of significant interest for the history of the province of Belluno, such as those from the Doglioni, Miari families and the Prosdocimi Bank. The latest acquisitions (2002) finally concern the documentary heritage of some important suppressed religious corporations from the Belluno area, also coming from the State Archive of Venice.
