Biblioteca Marciana

The Biblioteca nazionale Marciana (i.e. the library of Holy Marc, owner of Venice) or Library marcian or simply Marcienne in French, is the most important library of Venice and one of largest of Italy. It contains one of the richest collections of manuscripts of the world.

One also knows it in Italian under the names of Biblioteca di San Marco , Libreria Marciana , Libreria Sansoviniana , Libreria Vecchia , Libreria di San Marco or simply Marciana .

It is on the part of the Place Saint-Marc called piazzetta dei Leoncini , at the edge of the Large Channel.

History

As of 1362, Pétrarque proposes that a public library in Venice is created. The project is not carried out but, to his death, the poet bequeaths his library to the city. It is preserved today at Marciana.

The first core of the library dates from the donation by the cardinal Bessarion of his books to the République of Venice AD communem hominum utilitatem (May 31st, 1468): 746 manuscripts including 482 in Greek and 246 in Latin, to which 250 other manuscripts were added after the death of the giver.

The library sees its collections growing rich thanks to many other gifts and legacy, like by the incorporation of other libraries of the city and the Republic. An important part of the works comes from Constantinople, after the city was taken by the Othoman : that made of Venice the principal center of study of the traditional Greeks, which attracts the many humanistic ones. A certain number meet around Alde Manuce in the Aldine Académie.

In 1603, a law between in force which forces any printer of Venice to deposit a copy of each work in Marciana. The latter becomes thus the central library of the Republic.

After the fall of the Republic, the collections of the religious establishments removed by Napoleon affluent towards Marciana.

The libreria

Bessarion had laid down a condition with the legacy of its books: that they were preserved in a place which is appropriate to them. Venice does not answer however immediately at the request of the cardinal. The library is initially installed in a building of the Riva degli schiavoni , then in the basilica Saint-Marc and finally with the palate of the doges.

It is only in 1537 that one considers the construction of a palazzo beyond libreria (palate of the library), on the Place Saint-Marc. The project is entrusted by it to Jacopo Sansovino. Work continues jusque' in 1546 and the library is transferred in 1553. The building is however not finished before 1588: last work is undertaken by Vincenzo Scamozzi, after the death of Sansovino in 1582.

Contributed inter alia to its decoration Titien, Veronese, Alessandro Vittoria, Battista Franco, Giuseppe Porta, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Tintoret.

In 1811 the library is transferred to the palate from the doges and its historical seat only in 1924 finds. The buildings having become too small, the library occupies today the fabbrica della Zecca , in addition to the palazzo beyond libreria .

The library today

The library has today the statute of Public library of State. Its collections of Biblioteca Marciana conprennent today:
  • 1.000.000 of printed papers form old and modern
  • 2.283 Incunable S
  • 13.000 manuscripts
  • 24.055 books of the 16th century

The most known works are two codices of the Iliade, l' Homerus Venetus has (10th century) and l' Homerus Venetus B (11th century). One also finds there the Chronologia magna of FRA Paolino, manuscript of Pline of 1481 having belonged to Jean Pic of Mirandole, a specimen of the first book printed in Venice, very many Aldine editions, a rich person collection of charts and atlas, etc

List directors since the fall of the Republic

  • Jacopo Morelli : 1797 - 1819
  • Pietro Bettio: 1819 - 1846
  • Giuseppe Valentinelli: 1846 - 1874
  • Giovanni Veludo: 1874 - 1884
  • Carlo Castellani: 1884 - 1897
  • Salomone Morpurgo: 1898 - 1905
  • Carlo Frati: 1906 - 1913
  • Ulisse Ortensi: 1913
  • Giulio Coggiola : 1913 - 1919
  • Pastorello Ester: 1919 - 1920
  • Luigi Ferrari: 1920 - 1946
  • Pietro Zorzanello: 1947 - 1951
  • Tullia Gasparrini Leporace: 1951 - 1969
  • Giorgio Emanuele Ferrari: 1969 - 1973
  • Eugenia Govi: 1973 - 1976
  • Gian Albino Ravalli Modoni: 1976 - 1989
  • Marino Zorzi: since 1990

External bond

  • Official site

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