With 5,627,205 books, the National
Central Library of Florence (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze) is a pinnacle of knowledge. The
library was founded in 1714 when scholar Antonio Magliabechi bequeathed his
entire collection of books, encompassing approximately 30,000 volumes, to the
city of Florence. By 1743, it was required that a copy of every work published
in Tuscany be submitted to the library. Originally known as the Magliabechiana,
the library was opened to the public in 1747. Its holdings were combined with
those of the Biblioteca Palatina in 1861, and by 1885; the library had been
renamed as the National Central Library of Florence, or the BNCF. Since 1870,
the library has collected copies of all Italian publications. Since 1935, the
collections have been housed in a building designed by Cesare Bazzani and V.
Mazzei, located along the Arno River
in the quarter of Santa Croce.
Before this, they were found in various rooms belonging to the Uffizi Gallery. Unfortunately,
the major flood of the
Arno River in 1966 damaged nearly one-third of the library's
holdings, most notably its periodicals and Palatine and Magliabechi
collections. The Restoration Center was subsequently established and may be
credited with saving many of these priceless artifacts. However, much work
remains to be done and some items are forever lost.
If you’re a huge history buff as I am,
definitely dig for the two manuscripts: The
eternal and the hermit and Marriage
of the Virgin, both by Giovannino de Grassi. The library is home to some of
the most famous works done by the intellects of our past. Most people would
find libraries dull; however, I view them differently. They are archives for
our past, and if you are wondering down the cobblestoned streets of Florence
then you should appreciate these archives. The reason being is that Florence
has scarcely changed its face over the past 800 years, so by exploring the
works of people in the past you could attempt to find where they stood, talked,
lived, sat, pondered life’s mysteries! The library can lead you down a path of
discovering of some of the greatest minds right here in Florence. The pages of
the past sit right here all around me, and I can’t but be curious as to know
what brilliance is but a finger’s length away from my mind. As any historical
place around the center, the library holds tremendous significance to
Florence’s past. I encourage those who may read this blog, come here, get lost
and find your way around the pages of Tuscany.
