A purple parchment written in gold 'The privilegium granted by Otto I'.Otto I (912-973); traditionally known as Otto the Great was German king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973.-The Vatican Secret Archives (Archives secretes du Vatican - Archivio Segreto Vaticano) is the central repository in the Vatican City for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. The archives also contain the state papers; correspondence; papal account books and many other documents which the church has accumulated over the centuries. More than 1000 years of history on 85 km of shelving. The papal archives has served the Holy See for 400 years and is one of the most important and renowned research centres in the world. Ii is a treasure trove of peerless precious documents: millions of papers and parchments that can be accessed by scholars of all nationalities and all faiths.- Vatican Secret Archives (1999)