New sources on the history of Opus Dei: the funds of the Nunciature of Madrid, the Congregation of the Council and administrative office of State (1939-1950) was the name of the seminar given by Fernando Crovetto on November 8 to members of group of research Gender, perceptions and expansion of Opus Dei in Franco's Spain (1939-1962).

This seminar had a double purpose goal. On the one hand, to underline that a comprehensible study of the history of Opus Dei requires the enquiry of sources external to the institution itself. In this case, those of the Vatican apostolic file are of capital importance. Secondly, a descriptive overview of the contents of the Vatican collections was offered.

As for these contents, there are three main documentary nuclei. In the first place, reports on the founder and the institution, made by Vatican officials, or some religious and ecclesiastics, such as bishops and nuncios. Secondly, documents of a juridical nature, which are those that the institution itself submitted to the Vatican for successive diocesan and pontifical approvals. And, thirdly, papers of lesser interest, focused on specific topics: comments, reports or specific denunciations against the institution, or press reviews.