Padre Lino Gómez Canedo’s guide to Venezuelan archives is an extremely valuable work. Although conceived as a tool for students of church history, the guide has a much wider application. The first part of the book describes the holdings, organization, and general usefulness of the major archives of Caracas. This section is particularly noteworthy for its detailed descriptions of each collection. Here, as is the case throughout, emphasis is given institutions with holdings of special interest to church history. Perhaps because of the ecclesiastical orientation the guide does not describe the archives of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
The second section reviews provincial and local collections of importance. This part of the book is especially valuable because Venezuela’s local archives are so little used they are practically unknown. As in the first section, the detailed and comprehensive descriptions of organization and content enhance the value of this work.
In addition to these sections on Venezuelan historical archives, the guide includes several appendices referring to a microfilm project developed by the Academy of American Franciscan History. The first appendix is a catalogue of books and documents from the Archivo Arquidiocesano of Caracas relating to the history of the Franciscan order in Venezuela. The second appendix lists the books of Bishop Mariano Martí from his famous visita of Venezuela (1771-1784). The last two appendices include more detailed descriptions of some items in the first appendix.
In sum, this work is the best available introduction and guide to Venezuela’s historical archives.
