From the very beginning research at the Institute has been guided by the wealth of sources, spanning eras and regions, preserved in the Vatican City and Italian archives and libraries. DHI fosters an interdisciplinary, cross-era approach. Its core interests are rooted in the research of Italian history and musicology. However, in the context of ongoing debates on a theoretical and methodological level, and in the face of challenges posed by science policy, it also tackles transregional questions to a great extent, takes on comparative perspectives and deals with issues concerning the history of relations. The Italian peninsula is taken into consideration, with its European links and its role in global history, and questions addressing complex special frameworks are raised, with particular focus on southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. The DHI contributes to the Digital Humanities through the development of informatic programmes, implemented above all within basic research to create databases and to produce editions, thus opening new research perspectives.