The last trace

In October 1822 the Council of Ministers was created with the function of coordinating and preparing the acts proposed by the various ministries for "royal approval".

The president was the Councillor Minister of State, who was charged by the king to chair the ordinary meetings of the Council of State in the sovereign's absence.

The President of the Council of Ministers was obliged to "remain in the place of the King's ordinary residence".

Among the functions and competences of the Ministry of State of the Presidence of the Council of Ministers were: custody of the royal seal, the conservation of the original copies of the laws and decrees signed by the king, by the president of the Council and the by competent ministers, the Royal Printing Office (located in the ex-monastery of the Rosario di Palazzo, in the Spanish Quarters) where the collection of laws and cecrees of the royals of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were printed and the annual Rpyal Almanac was compiled, the preparation of the acts for the concesion of the Orders of chivalry, and the maintenance of relationships with the Representative of the King of Sicily.

The Ministry of State for Forign Affairs was charged, among other things, with the negotiation, stipulation and observance of international peace treaties, alliances and commerce, the nomination of "Diplomatic and consular agents in foreign countries", diplomatic correspondence with representatives abroad, "the formation, conservation and explanation of arcane numbers", which translated into today's language meant: the creation and keeping of secret codes for confidential correspondence with representatives abroad and actions of intelligence services to decipher those used by other countries.