The Pepi archive offers a cross-section of the family’s history from the mid-16th century to the present day; it comprises bundles tied with cords, folders, and registers—totaling 164 archival units—including 24 folders containing papers and documents from the 20th century and the family's most recent descendants.

Although the Pepi family had already risen to prominence in the second half of the 13th century—thanks to a thriving mercantile business centered on the spice trade (specifically pepper) and their subsequent involvement in the public offices of the Republic of Florence—it is unknown whether or how documentation predating the mid-16th century was created or subsequently lost. What is certain is that, starting with Ruberto Pepi (1572–1634) and continuing through his descendants in the 17th and 18th centuries, the family succeeded in consolidating its wealth through prudent financial management and strategic marriage alliances. These measures secured their active participation in the political administration of the Medici and Lorraine states, particularly following the recognition granted by the 1750 law on nobility and citizenship—enacted by Francis Stephen of Lorraine—which conferred upon them the title of "Noble Florentine Patricians of the Santa Croce Quarter."
Documents from other Florentine families also found their way into the Pepi archive—notably those of the Macigni family and a cadet branch of the Medici family—through significant marriage alliances: the union of Ruberto Pepi with Isabella de’ Medici (daughter of Paolo Medici) in 1608, and the marriage of Franco Gaspero Pepi to Ottavia Macigni. The latter alliance secured the Pepi family’s acquisition of the entire Macigni estate, inherited following the death of Francesco Manfredi Macigni—Ottavia’s brother and the house's last male descendant. Not much remains of other families, aside from scattered records concerning the future "Signora Pepi"—most notably Lisabetta Gondi. She married Francesco di Ruberto Pepi in 1649 but was widowed just a few years later, subsequently playing a pivotal role in managing the family estate.

The archive consists essentially of two sections: the first comprises records regarding the assets of the Pepi family and families linked to it, containing administrative and legal documents (notarial deeds, wills, and dowry agreements; contracts of sale; loan agreements; and judicial and litigation records); the second contains accounting registers, private records, memoirs, and reports by prominent family members—covering everything from asset management accounts to household and personal expenses—as well as other writings, such as the famous *Memoriale* of Ruberto Pepi, a diary recounting his business travels. Finally, there is a series of correspondence spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, which is significant for reconstructing the family’s network of relationships and its operational activities during that period.
The analytical inventory *L’archivio della Famiglia Pepi* (The Pepi Family Archive), edited by Riccardo Sacchettini, was published in 2015; this work forms the basis for the current description of the documents (as of 2026), with revisions and editing by Gaia Baglioni.