The report.

I decided to continue writing about the Vatican library. Here is my report where I summarized the information which I found for the assignment.


The Vatican Library.
There are a lot of beautiful libraries in the world which preserve knowledge collected by mankind during the development of civilisation. Libraries could be counted as the richest of all cultural institutions. Architectural treasures in themselves, they introduce different epochs from Renaissance to Neoclassical and Modern (4). The crucial role of libraries is to preserve and disseminating books, the amazing cultural artefact of mankind which helps to develop the great civilizations of the world.

The special place among the greatest world libraries belongs to the Vatican Library (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana). Absolutely amazing collections of manuscripts and rare printed books are currently located in the Holy See in Vatican City.

A brief look at history.
The Vatican Library began as a library of popes for collecting archival documents which they needed for conservation and transmitting evidence of the Church spiritual life.
Usually five periods are distinguished in the history of the Vatican Library:
1) The pre-Lateran period, when the manuscripts were to be found in many different places;
2) The Lateran period, when the archives were collected in the papal palace of the Lateran;
3) The Avignon period, when the popes resided at Avignon;
4) The pre-Vatican, the interim period when materials were being assembled in Rome;
5) The modern period from the middle of fifteenth century to the present time (12).

In spite of evidence of the scrinium of the Roman Church which was both a library and archive , the founder of the modern-day Vatican Library is considered Pope Nicolas V(1447-1455). When he was elected in 1447 the Vatican collection included about 350 Latin, a few Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. After his death there were left more than 1,500 manuscripts, making the Pontifical collection the largest in Europe at that time (3).
It should be pointed that officially the Library was founded on June 15, 1475 when Pope Sixtus IV issued the memorable bull, "Ad decorum militantis Ecclesiae". He endowed the Library with the rooms and funds. But the most important step was his invitation to the humanists Bartolomeo Sacchi of Cremona, known as Platina, to be a librarian. Platina’s catalogue which he finished in 1481 it was displayed that the collection included approximately 3,500 titles. From this time the Vatican Library became the source of study and knowledge (8).

The next important period for the development of the Vatican Library is counted with Pope Sixtus V. The Pope commissioned his architect Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) to build the Library on a new site. This building still houses the Library. On the top floor there is a large room with two naves which today is called the Salone Sistino which was intended to contain the collection (6).

Considering following centuries, it should be underlined that all popes enhanced collections and kept the organization in a way which has remained fundamentally unaltered to the present day (15). Collections were increased by donations and purchases of manuscripts and books. For instance, in 1657 the Library acquired the manuscripts of the Dukes of Urbino or in 1748 other large accessions were the Capponi collection (11).

In the present day the most significant acquisition for the Vatican Library was the famous 'Bodmer Papyrus XIV-XV' donated to the Vatican by U.S. businessman Frank Hanna III. The manuscript contains about half of each copy of the Gospels of Luke and John handwritten in Greek approximately in the year 200 (16).

Fundamental changes brought to the Library in the 20th century when the collections were put on microfilms and now in digital format. In 2005 new technology allowed information to be stored and send it via radio waves to a reader or handheld device that enables librarians to monitor the condition of the book and their location (13). The electronic catalogue includes 500,000 cards, which provides information from more than one million printed volumes which included some 8.500 incunabula and more than 150,000 manuscripts. Among the most famous holding of the library is the ‘Codex Vaticanus’, the oldest known manuscript of the Bible (5).

Now the Vatican Library is closed for renovation. Nevertheless readers can use the on-line catalogue, contact with librarians electronically, obtain photographic reproductions and digital images. The Library is to be opened for public after renovation in 2010 (2).

Manuscripts and printed books.
Among the collections of the Vatican library a special place belongs to manuscripts and printed books. All manuscripts may be divided into two big parts: closed (historical) and open collections. The former is called “closed” (numerus clausus) because they came to the Library complete and managed as a whole as a “Fondo”. It is important to understand that no new books from same or similar source can be included in the collection. The closed collections are known by their origin. For instance, "Fondo Reginense", named for Queen Christina of Sweden who presented this collection which consists of 2,120 Latin and 190 Greek manuscripts. In open collection new acquisitions can be added. Separated according to the languages of manuscripts the open collection are named "Codices Vaticani” (14 ).

Several words have to be said about "Codex B", one of the few antique codices which have conserved the Greek text of the Bible almost completely. This title is the oldest known nearly complete manuscript of the Holy Scripture. The original place and time, when the "Codex B" came to Vatican, is still unknown. It is believed that the manuscript was already there by the time of Pope Nicolas V.
The "Codex B" is written on a fine parchment as letters which were used in fourth century. This unique old book up-to-date is the subject of investigation and scientific debates (17).

Next example of rare book, which could be illustrated the unique titles preserved in the Vatican Library is "Vergilius Romanus" also known as "The Roman Virgil". It is the illuminated manuscript from fifth century containing the "Aeneid". It is the oldest and most important manuscripts of the work of Virgil. The book consists of 309 vellum* folios. The manuscript is known as the unique example of late Roman miniature painting (18).

Two other surviving illustrated manuscripts of classical literature also located in the Vatican Library are "Vergilius Vaticanus" known as the "Vatican Vergil" and "Ambrosian Iliad" (12).


The musical collection.
It should be told several words about Renaissance musical collection of the Vatican Library.
The sacred music composed during the Renaissance was written for the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunately, some great composers of that period, for instance, Josquin des Pres (1450? - 1521) or Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), are almost forgotten. In the collection there is 'Second Book of Masses' written by Giovanni de Palestrina in 1567.
Several works of Josquin des Pres are held in the Vatican Library as well. The most known is "Missa de Beata Virgine". The opus is interesting for specialists because it is unusual among Josquin's works owing to special form different from canonical (9).

The medical collection.
The Vatican library held a big collection of medical books and manuscripts. Some of them were introduced in an exhibition ‘Rome Reborn: The Vatican Library & Renaissance Culture’ organized by Library of Congress in 2002. There were introduced manuscripts of Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna, Hippocrates. The work of Galen "De usu partium" written in Greek in 10th or 11th centuries was one of the most important ancient contributions to anatomy and philosophy. This book came to the papal library from Cardinal Jacobo Piccolomini in fifteenth century (10).

The main aim.
Interestingly that the Vatican Library from the beginning was constructed in accordance with the intention of Pope Nicolas V as the library for “common convenience of the learned”. Up-to-date this thesis is the basis of the Statutes where is expounded nature and purpose of the Vatican Library. For instance, the responsibilities of the Library, which is both an institute of conservation and an institute of research, are included “to guard and preserve with the greatest of care the cultural treasures entrusted to it” and “To effect study and promote knowledge of these materials for ordinary and extraordinary personal works and by means of publication” (7).

The American friends of the Vatican Library.
The Vatican Library has the greatest respect and popularity among society.
In United States there is non-profit organization ‘The American friends of the Vatican Library’. Established in 1981 the organization supports and promotes the Library, as a source of knowledge and information on the evolution of the Western World. The American Friends exists by donation nevertheless assists in many projects connected with the Library. Among them are Renovation of the Lighting in the Manuscript Reading Room; the purchase of computers; "Incunabula Catalogue" project etc. (1).


Conclusion.
The Vatican Library created and supervised by Holy See is an absolutely unique library.
Relicts collected by popes available for everybody who do research in history, law, philosophy, science, art, literature and theology. Speaking more generally, the Vatican Library is the place where preserved treasures are the source of knowledge about Western civilization.

References.
1. American Friends of the Vatican Library 2006, American Friends of Vatican Library, viewed 9 October 2009,
http://afvl.org

2. ‘Apostolic library and secret archives’ 2007, Catholic Historical Review, vol.93, no.2, October, pp.1023-1024.

3. Berry, BM 1967, Key to the Apostolic Vatican library, Welwood Murray Memorial Library, Palm Spring.

4. Guillaume de, L 2003, The most beautiful libraries in the world, Harry N. Abrams, New York.

5. Kosanke, C 2003, ‘Vatican library’, New Catholic Encyclopedia vol.14, Thomas/Gale, Detroit., pp.418-422.

6. Legocki, A 1973, Sztuka renesansu, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa.

7. Nature and purpose of the Vatican library n.d., Vatican Library, viewed 9 October 2009,
http://www.vaticanlibrary.vatlib.it/BAVT/info/en/History+And+Structure/nature_purpose.htm

8. Petrosillo, O 2003, The city of St .Peter: history, art and treasures, Edizioni Musei Vaticani, Vatican City.

9. Robertson, D 2005, Music through the centuries, Rising World Entertainment, Nashville.

10. Rome reborn: the Vatican library and Renaissance culture 2002, Library of Congress, Washington, viewed 28 September 2009,
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/vatican/medicine.html

11. Sladen, D 1907, The secret of Vatican, Hurst and Blackett, London, viewed 28 September 2009,
http://www.archive.org/stream/secretsofvatican00sladuoft#page/n9/mode/2up

12. Stickler, AM & Boyle, LE 1989, The Vatican library, its history and treasures, Belser Incorporated, New York.

13. Swartz, N 2005, ‘Vatican library tags books’, Information Management Journal, vol.39, no.1, January- February, p. 6.

14. ‘The Vatican as scientific institute’ 2009, The Catholic Encyclopedia Online, viewed 12 October 2009.

15. ‘Vatican library’ 2008, New World Encyclopedia Online, viewed 28 September 2009.

16. Voicu, SJ 2007, ‘Bodmer papyrus: history becomes reality’, L’Osservatore Romano, no.7, p. 8.

17. Witherington III, B 2008, ‘A text without a home’, Biblical Archeology Review, vol. 34, no.4, p.28.


18. Wright, DH 2001, The Roman Vergil and the origins of medieval book design, British Library, London.