Magazia (today Paxos Archive Repository)

Building of the old Primary School, Magazia (today Paxos Archive Repository).

The Paxos Archives is one of the oldest archives in the country, as the oldest document it preserves dates back to 1610. It operated during the Venetian rule as part of the then Corfu Archives. Count Ioannis Makris, a nobleman and one of the three Presidents of Paxos (the other two being Marinos Mitsialis and Stamatelos Velianitis), realized how useful it would be to establish an office that would gather the written treasure of Paxos. Thus, in 1800, in a document addressed to the Governor of Corfu, he wrote: "The local administration of Paxos, among its first matters of discussion, considered the establishment of an Archive in Paxos, in which these precious monuments will be placed and carefully preserved" (Historical Archives of Corfu, Democratic French, folder 4, page 63).

It covers without significant gaps the second half of the 18th,

the 19th, and the 20th century, presenting completeness and rarity, as it has preserved the largest part of the production of the authorities at the time, while similar or equivalent material is kept in few organizations - mainly in the State Archives of the Ionian Islands.

It has been operating since 1800, and it is noteworthy that among other things, it preserves notarial codes from 1658 to 1902. (The term "code" - from the Latin word codex or condex - originally meant a book of public records, written on parchment or paper, in the format of today's book; a notary during the Frankish and Turkish rule, and later in the Ionian Islands, was a scribe < Lat. Notarius < nota sign, mark < nosco know).

Unfortunately, its collections have suffered many damages over the years. The worst, perhaps - according to G. Doika - was during the Paxos uprising against the French in 1810, during which the rebels, along with many atrocities and murders, looted the Historical Archive.

In the years that followed, the local administration did not give the importance and attention that the Archive deserved, in order to secure it a suitable shelter and to protect it from intrusive and indifferent researchers. The archivists, perhaps despite their good intentions, did not have the knowledge and experience to maintain and utilize the valuable material of the Archive. And the long periods during which it remained without an archivist, stacked in places without the appropriate humidity and temperature specifications, surely caused significant damage to its documents.

Until 1925, it gathers

in addition to the notarial archives, court files, registries, and records of judicial authorities of the island, as well as Official Government Gazette publications.
During the period 1925-1935, it remains closed, and the archival material is transferred to the Paxos Court.
In 1935, it is re-established with Law 221/28-5-1935 and housed in the Gaio Community Store, following a request from the Gaio Community Council to the Ministry of the Interior. It operates normally until 1995, with an interruption between 1952-1960.
During this period, it collects all the remaining archival material (registry office documents, municipal archives, local newspapers).In 1991, it is renamed – by Law 1946 on GAK - from Historical Archive of Paxos to Local Archive of Paxos, while in 1995 there is no longer a building to house it nor personnel. Thus, a team from the GAK goes to Paxos to pack and transfer the archival material.

During the next decade, by decision of the municipal council,

the Municipality of Paxos grants the neoclassical building from the early 20th century in Magazia Paxos, which until then housed a primary school, to the General State Archives. In 2004, a permanent employee with the specialty of Archivist is appointed, marking the completion of the unpacking of the material and equipment, and the systematic recording begins. The Local Archive of Paxos (2004-2008) participates in the Operational Program for the Information Society for the "Development of Integrated Digital Cultural Collections of the General State Archives" by providing approximately 90,000 pages from the archives of the Registry Office, Notaries, Mortgage Registry, and the Democratic and Imperial French.

However, in 2008, the archivist is transferred, and until 2013, the Archive operates with detached educators. From 2013 until 2020, it remains closed due to staff shortages. In 2019, it is renamed the Paxos Archive (Law 4610/2019, Government Gazette 70/A/07-05-2019), while from September 2020 until today, it has reopened with an educator assigned to it. The maintenance and repair needs of the building and equipment continue to be significant, and it relies on the sensitivities of the Municipality and the island's residents for the continued operation, with the ability to serve the public, as well as safeguarding and maintaining the rich treasure it holds.