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Italy & the Vatican
This page focuses on the Italian language, and covers some major collections in the Italian Peninsula.
Searching for Texts
The Central Institute for the Union Catalog of Italian Libraries and Bibliographic Information has been working to create unified catalogs of Italian libraries, but the rare books collections may not always be integrated into collective catalogs like these. Similarly, WorldCat may or may not list all of the older materials held in various libraries, but it may provide a helpful first indication of where your materials may be found. Many individual libraries still maintain their own catalogs, which are the most reliable source of information about their holdings.
If you're not sure what you're looking for, perusing printed bibliographies may be a good place to start. More information on searching for texts can be found on the home page of this guide.
- OPAC SBNThe collective catalog of the National Library service.
- EDIT 16The national census of books printed in the sixteenth century.
- I cataloghi storici digitalizzatiThe digitized versions of older catalogs of 219 Italian libraries.
- Fondo Rinascimento at the National Library of FlorenceBrowse books from and about the Renaissance held in the National Library of Florence.
Bibliographies
Searching online catalogs is the fastest way to find what you're looking for if you already know what it is. If you want to explore, browsing bibliographies may be the way to go. Many paper bibliographies are available under Z call numbers, and in facsimile editions via Google Books and HathiTrust. More information on bibliographies can be found on the home page of this guide.
Catalogs of Italian printed books are generally divided by century: incunabula will be cataloged separately from sixteenth-century printed books or cinquecentine. Books from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries are generally not separated in Italian catalogs and inventories.
- Bibliografia di bibliografie: edizioni italiane del XVI secoloA helpful guide to finding other bibliographies. Includes specialized bibliographies such as those dedicated to magic and alchemy, as well as bibliographies of illustrated books.
- Indice generale degli incunaboli delle biblioteche d'ItaliaAn alphabetical list of all the incunabula found in Italian libraries.
- Le Edizioni italiane del XVI secolo: censimento nazionale (EDIT 16)A multi-volume catalog of all sixteenth-century printed books held in Italian libraries and where they can be found. Also available online.
- Autori italiani del '600A descriptive catalog of Italian authors of the seventeenth century, grouped by subject.
- Biblioteca italiana, ossia Notizia de' libri rari italiani: divisa in quattro parti; cioè istoria, poesia, prose, arti e scienzeThe first part of Nicola Haym's catalog from 1728, via Google books. Great for browsing titles from the first three centuries of printing.
- Italy--History--BibliographySearching subject headings by period, e.g. Italy -- History -- 1492-1559 -- Sources, may also prove fruitful.
National Libraries
As part of Italy's unification process in the late nineteenth century, the main libraries of each region were consolidated into a network on national libraries. Today, there are two central national libraries, in Florence and Rome, and six further national libraries in different regions. The ones with the largest collections of early printed books are listed here.
When requesting access to old and rare materials, most institutions will require that you apply for some sort of researcher's card and may require to see some evidence of why you need to use the materials. It is a good idea to anticipate this, and familiarize yourself with the requirements at the libraries you intend to visit before you travel. It is also advisable to bring an original letter from your department chair or dissertation advisor attesting to your research needs.
More information on visiting libraries and archives can be found on the home page of this guide.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze [Florence]Currently holds 4,000 incunabula, 29,000 sixteenth-century books and 25,000 manuscripts.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma [Rome]Houses 2,000 incunabula, 25,000 sixteenth-century editions and 8,000 manuscripts.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III (Naples)After the two Central National Libraries, the Naples National Library has the largest collection, with 4,563 incunabula and 40,000 sixteenth-century books.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (Venice)Founded in 1468 and located in a Renaissance building in the Piazza San Marco, the Marciana currently holds nearly 18,000 manuscripts, 2,887 incunabula and 24,000 sixteenth-century books.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense (Milan) (aka Biblioteca di Brera)Holds 2,368 incunabula, 24,401 sixteenth-century books, and a drama collection with 10,000 libretti teatrali [theatrical booklets] from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino [Turin]With 1,600 incunabula and 10,000 sixteenth-century books, the National University Library in Turin also houses an important collection.
- The Vatican LibraryThe Vatican Library's collections include more than 8,600 incunabula, "tens of thousands of sixteenth-century editions and even more seventeenth-century ones," as well as vast manuscript collections.
Other Collections
Italy's libraries have a rich and long history. Some of the oldest libraries have become part of the national library system, such as the Marciana in Venice. Others remain private institutions with rich collections of early printed books. This list includes a few of the oldest private libraries, and links to information about finding others.
For libraries in North America with collections of early printed books, please see the Collections in North America page of this guide.
- Biblioteca Vallicelliana (Rome)Founded in 1565 by Saint Filippo Neri and occupying a building designed by Francesco Borromini, the Biblioteca Vallicelliana holds 437 incunabula and 13,000 sixteenth-century books, as well as important collections of manuscripts and music.
- Bibliotheca Angelica (Rome)Founded in 1604, the Angelica Library holds 1,100 incunabula and 13,500 books from the sixteenth century, as well as a collection of Italian and foreign periodicals from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
- Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Milan)Founded in 1609, the Ambrosiana was the first public library in Italy. Its catalog currently shows 8,490 books printed between 1500 and 1700, nearly 10,000 manuscripts from the same period, and 2,045 incunabula.
- Biblioteca Casanatense (Rome)Opened to the public in 1701, the Casanatense is home to 2,200 incunabula and nearly 13,000 sixteenth century books as well as collections of drawings, paintings, scientific instruments, and fine furnishings.
- Biblioteca dell'Archiginnasio (Bologna)Holds about 2,500 incunabula and 15,000 sixteenth-century editions, as well as a rich collection of sixteenth-century manuscripts. Housed in a Renaissance building that was once the main university building of Bologna.
- Biblioteca Palatina (Parma)Holds more than 3,000 incunabula and 11,000 sixteenth-century books. Especially noteworthy is the collection of Spanish Siglo de Oro materials, including 124 handwritten and 267 printed works in the Lope de Vega collection.
- Internet Culturale: BibliotecheThe National Library Service of Italy's list of partner libraries.
- BIBVIO Biblioteche virtuali onlineThe main portal of Italy's General Directorate of Libraries and Institutions, part of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. Includes a list of important public and university libraries.
Early Modern Italian Orthography
Italian spelling was unstable in the early centuries of printing, with authors and printers wavering between etymological spellings that showed the Latin roots of words, or modernized spellings that more closely reflected punctuation. Be sure to keep this in mind as you are searching, and try variant spellings of titles, authors, and keywords. More information is available in the orthography section of the home page of this guide.
Learn more about Italian orthography
- Orthographies in Early Modern EuropeThe chapter on Italian contains a useful overview.
- Storia della lingua italianaThe detailed table of contents will lead you to pages about spelling in the quattrocento (page 283), the cinquecento (page 381), and the seicento (page 463). Also available in an English translation.
- Trattati sull'ortografia del volgare, 1524-1526A collection of texts by Trissino, Firenzuola, Martelli, Tolomei, and Liburnio, concerning their recommendations for othography reform.
- Prose della volgar linguaPietro Bembo's 1525 treatise on verse composition and the Tuscan language. His discussion of spelling norms begins on page 63.
- Scritti linguisticiContains four of Giovan Giorgio Trissino's linguistic treatises from the 1520, written with his proposed substitution of the Greek omega for the Latin o, which did not catch on.
- La storia della lingua italiana attraverso i testiA history of the language, illustrated with images of early texts.
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