The Biblioteca Queriniana is a public library with a rich collection of ancient manuscripts, located on Via Giuseppe Mazzini in Brescia, region of

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

, Italy. The library was founded in 1747 and owes the nucleus of its collection to Cardinal

Angelo Maria Querini Angelo Maria Querini or Quirini (30 March 1680 – 6 January 1755) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Born in Venice, he entered the Benedictine Order in Florence in 1695 and was ordained in 1702. From 1710 to 1714, ...

(1680–1755). 387BresciaBibliotecaQueriniana

History

The library was founded by the cardinal, who commissioned the architect Antonio Marchetti to design a building to house the institution. The library was sited at the archbishop's palace. In 1797, the library was nationalized by the Napoleonic government and came under the ownership of the commune. Over the centuries, the collection has increased, with the addition of libraries from suppressed Catholic monasteries and churches and the donations of private individuals. Eighteenth-century Italy had a number of examples of public libraries endowed by Catholic church leaders, including the

Biblioteca Forteguerriana The Biblioteca Forteguerriana is a public library in Pistoia, Italy, founded in 1473 by Niccolò Fortiguerra :''This article is not about Niccolò Fortiguerra (1674-1735), bishop and poet, author of Ricciardetto'' Niccolò Fortiguerra (also spel ...

and Fabroniana of Pistoia and the

Biblioteca Marucelliana The Marucelliana Library or Biblioteca Marucelliana, is a public library, founded by the mid-18th century, and located on Via Camillo Cavour # 43, in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. History The library was opened to the public on September 18 ...

of Florence. Among notable manuscripts in its collection are: * Codex Brixianus (''Evangelario purpureo'') (6th century) * Concordance of the Gospels by Eusebius (11th century) *Fragments of a text by San Cipriano (5th century) *English Psalter (14th century) *Greek Gospel (10th century) *Pages of the Koran (15th century) *'' Divine Comedy'', edition by Bonini with woodcuts *Illuminated first edition of the ''

Canzoniere ''Il Canzoniere'' (; en, Song Book), also known as the ''Rime Sparse'' ( en, Scattered Rhymes), but originally titled ' ( en, Fragments of common things, that is ''Fragments composed in vernacular''), is a collection of poems by the Italian hum ...

'' of Petrarch The library possesses over 526,000 volumes, of which 130,000 were published before 1830.

References

Bibliography

* {{Authority control Infrastructure completed in 1747 Queriniana, Brescia Baroque architecture in Brescia