Biblioteca Classense
The Biblioteca Classense is the municipal library of Ravenna (Via Baccarini 3) in the Emilia-Romagna region , which has existed since 1803 . It goes back to the library of the Camaldolese , built in the 17th and 18th centuries , whose monastery was dissolved in the course of the Napoleonic reforms. Today it contains around 800,000 volumes. There are also around 750 codices that go back to the 10th century, as well as around 800 incunabula and more than 8,000 cinquecentines , i.e. prints from the 16th century.
history
Under Abbot Pietro Canneti, a large library was built in the Abbey of Classe in the late 17th century after Abbot Marino Bonetti († 1664) had already put together a small collection. After the monastery was dissolved, it became the Biblioteca Civica di Ravenna , i.e. the communal library. In the Classense, in addition to the municipal stocks, the stocks of the other monasteries in the city were stored. These include codices, incunabula and early prints, cimilies and autographs , musical manuscripts , graphic and map works, woodcuts and copperplate engravings as well as lithographs . In addition to the communal and monastic holdings, there were private funds, such as that of the architect Camillo Morigia (1743–1795) or that of the art historian Corrado Ricci (1858–1934). Holdings were also acquired, such as those of the Spreti family, whose manuscripts and other documents are of considerable importance for the history and culture of Ravenna. The Raccolta Dantesca by Leo Olschki deserves special mention , the most comprehensive collection devoted to the subject of Dante Alighieri .
Of the approximately 750 manuscripts dated, 350 belong to the period between the 10th and 16th centuries, plus several thousand manuscripts in the various buste , fascicoli and lettere . The Aristophanes manuscript, which Abbot Pietro Canneti acquired in Pisa in 1712, is world-famous , the only copy that has survived the author's eleven comedies . Numerous other works were acquired by Canneti for the Libreria Camaldolese . The incunabula include De Oratore von Cicero , printed in Subiaco in 1465 by Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz, the first incunabula in Italy. The Naturalis historia by Pliny d. Ä. , printed in Venice by Johann von Speyer (Giovanni da Spira) in 1469, as well as the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili , also printed in Venice in 1499 by Aldo Manuzio .
In addition, there are numerous manuscripts that are of great importance for the history of Ravenna, as well as collections that refer to Lord Byron (1788-1824), Teresa Gamba Guiccioli (1801-1873), Luigi Carlo Farini (1812-1866), Corrado Ricci (1858 –1934), Luigi Rava (1860–1938), Santi Muratori (1874–1943), Manara Valgimigli (1876–1965) or Eurialo De Michelis (1904–1990).
There is also a large number of printed works for the history of the Camaldolese, but also objects that were of importance for liturgy, as well as works of art and even card games.
The most important catalog, since it was extensively created from 1878, is still the Catologo Antico with its 61,500 pages , which was created by the deputy librarian Silvio Bernicoli. A digital version has been created since 2003. In addition to the usual catalogs, there are separate catalogs for the manuscripts and incunabula as well as for cartographic works.
The library is being extensively restored, whereby the former monastery district with its usable area of 28,000 m² is to be integrated. Long-time librarian was Donatino Domini (1978–2011).
literature
- Giuseppe D. Addesso, Giampiero Cuppini: Biblioteca Classense. Immagini di un millennio. Ravenna 2001.
- Maria Giulia Baldini, Teresa De Robertis, Marco Mazzotti: I manoscritti datati della Classense e delle altre biblioteche della provincia di Ravenna. Ravenna 2004.
- Angela Dillon Bussi, Claudia Giuliani: Biblioteca classense Ravenna. Nardini, 1996.
Web links
Coordinates: 44 ° 24 '53.1 " N , 12 ° 11' 59.6" E