TREASURE MAPS Twenty Itineraries Designed to Help You Explore the Cultural Heritage of Palermo and its Province Soprintendenza per i Beni culturali e ambientali di Palermo PAPER TREASURES LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES edited by Claudia Oliva REGIONE SICILIANA Assessorato dei Beni culturali e dell’Identità siciliana PO FESR Sicilia 2007-2013 Linea d’intervento 3.1.1.1. “Investiamo nel vostro futuro” Project TREASURE MAPS Twenty Itineraries Designed to Help You Explore the Cultural Heritage of Palermo and its Province project by: Ignazio Romeo R.U.P.: Claudia Oliva Soprintendente: Maria Elena Volpes Paper Treasures: Libraries and Archives edited by: Claudia Oliva photographs: Giuseppe Cucco and Gaetano Lo Giudice (fig. 1-5); Ezio Ferreri (fig. 45) Dario Di Vincenzo (fig. 32-36, 41-44, 54-58, 67-73); Vincenzo Aluia (fig. 83-87). All the other photographs have been given by the libraries and the historical archives with the collaboration of: Francesca Buffa and Marina Mancino editorial staff: Ignazio Romeo, Maria Concetta Picciurro graphics and printing: Ediguida s.r.l. translations: Logoteum Language Services Please note: Opening times for each library and archive are printed in the individual information sheets in this booklet. Given that these times are subject to change we suggest that you check them on their individual web sites. Treasure maps: Twenty Itineraries Designed to Help You Explore the Cultural Heritage of Palermo and its Province. - Palermo: Regione siciliana, Assessorato dei beni culturali e dell’identità siciliana, Dipartimento dei beni culturali e dell’identità siciliana. – v. 709.45823 CDD-22 SBN Pal0274341 18.: Paper treasures: Libraries and Archives / by Claudia Oliva. – Palermo: Regione Siciliana, Assessorato dei beni culturali e dell’identità siciliana, Dipartimento dei beni culturali e dell’identità siciliana, 2015. I. Oliva, Claudia <1955>. 027.045823 CDD-22 CIP - Biblioteca centrale della Regione siciliana “Alberto Bombace” © REGIONE SICILIANA Assessorato dei Beni culturali e dell’Identità siciliana Dipartimento dei Beni culturali e dell’Identità siciliana Soprintendenza per i Beni culturali e ambientali di Palermo Via Pasquale Calvi, 13 - 90139 Palermo Palazzo Ajutamicristo - Via Garibaldi, 41 - 90133 Palermo tel. 091-7071425 091-7071342 091-7071411 www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali PAPER TREASURES Libraries and Archives 5 FOREWORD 6 LIBRARIES 8 Biblioteca Centrale della Regione Siciliana “Alberto Bombace” 11 Biblioteca Comunale of Palermo 14 Library of the Assemblea Regionale Siciliana 18 Library of the Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo “Giuseppe Vaiana” 20 Biblioteca Centrale per le Chiese di Sicilia 23 Library of the Museo Archeologico Regionale “A. Salinas” 26 Library of the Conservatorio di Musica “V. Bellini” 29 Biblioteca Francescana 31 Library of the Società Siciliana per la Storia Patria 34 Library of the Fondazione Sicilia 37 Biblioteca Comunale of Monreale 39 Library of the Fondazione Mandralisca in Cefalù 42 A SHORT LIST OF LIBRARIES 44 HISTORICAL ARCHIVES 45 Archivio di Stato of Palermo 49 Archivio Storico Comunale of Palermo 52 Archivio Storico Diocesano of Palermo 56 Historical Archives of the Fondazione Sicilia 59 Archivio Storico Diocesano of Monreale 5 In Italian one says “carta”, a word of Latin rationalism of the 17th–18th century, the paper origin borrowed from the Greek. However, depositories were opened to the public. This in English one says paper and in French or fostered knowledge (the libraries) and historical German papier, clearly derived from the word research (the archives); and they ultimately papyrus, the plant used by the Egyptians to became both theoretically and effectively, part obtain their writing material, which they of the common good. conserved in long rolls (volumina: volumes Libraries and Archives possess a most peculiar or that which is wound up or rolled up). In sense of fascination by virtue of their secluded Late Antique times a book made up out of character (even if they are no longer secret), of single sheets, sewn together along the spine their long history and of the enormous store was known as a codex and the surface prepared of historical memory that they house. This to receive writing was originally animal skin, fascination has increased over the last thirty known as parchment. But let us use, for the years since, thanks to the book “In the name sake of brevity and convenience, the word of the Rose” by Umberto Eco, libraries and paper to indicate that ductile and lightweight archives have become the setting for stories material that for 5,000 years has been used by of intrigue and mystery. This also depends, man to jot down his thoughts: one of the most most likely, on the fact that paper is no longer humble of inventions, but simultaneously the principal means of preserving enormous perhaps one of enormous historical amounts of data. It has been replaced by digital importance. Writing has permitted man to and electronic support systems. transmit the memory of the human race; But it is exactly the fact that paper belongs but it has been paper (papyrus, parchment), to another era that renders it interesting. infinitely more versatile than stone or Palermo and its surroundings offer a great terracotta tablets (and far more vulnerable many absorbing places for those who want unfortunately), that has allowed writing, rather to explore “the world of paper”. One cannot than just accompanying history, to become an allow the tourist to forget that the city can extension of it and has rendered possible the boast of possessing the very first European development of civilisation. paper document (from 1109, now in the By its very nature, paper is subject to Palermo State Archives). Moreover, the story accumulation. It has served, century after of the Libraries and the Archives together with century, to register everything thought worthy the most interesting pieces in their collections, of preserving: works of poetry and philosophy, can be likened to a drill that pierces the various every kind of legal and administrative levels of the history of the city, for so many document (regulations, title deeds, legal years the capital (or main city) of a kingdom. A proceedings, taxation). And, by its very process story not only of dry information and data— of silent accumulation, paper has created over that of the immaterial content impressed time the need for large depositories, nearly on the paper—but also of fascinating and always private or even secret and belonging to incredibly beautiful objects. This volume of the the authorities, holy orders or social groups. Treasure Maps can only be an introduction to But from the start of the Renaissance, and this complex and multifaceted world. with ever-increasing efficiency due to the Ignazio Romeo TREASURE MAPS LIBRARIES Claudia Oliva The development of Libraries over the course of time is without a doubt one of the indispensable elements necessary for the evaluation of the history, as well as the cultural and scientific leanings of a society. Intellectual activity is closely linked to books and therefore to Libraries that, albeit they have diverse tasks and functions, are an indispensable support of learning and favour the diffusion of information and scientific progress. The historical evolution of Libraries in Italy is closely related to the profound historical and geographical changes that have altered the country over the centuries, and particularly from the 18th century onwards. There are several fundamental stages in this process. In the Middle Ages the amanuensis or memorabilia. scribe had a determining role in the And finally, during the period of the monastic scriptoria as their work ensured Unification of Italy, the intense moral and the transmission of texts by Greek and political tension of those years resulted in Latin authors, thereby furthering the the complete overhaul of the role of the formation of new book collections. Public Libraries. During the Renaissance the humanistic 1869 marked the approval of the first culture boosted the creation of new secular “Guidelines for the Management of Public Libraries at the various Courts. Furthermore Libraries” together with intense cultural the invention of the printing press, which debate and the consequent profound greatly increased the number of books in renewal of the concept of librarianship. circulation, also helped form the modern The National Libraries of Florence and day concept of the Public Library. Rome assumed a leading role as central The 17th and 18th centuries were a further National Libraries, University Libraries determinating moment, when the impulse were given specific responsibilities for of the Illuministic culture created a the support of scientific research, Local heightened awareness of the value of Libraries were created in many cities and information and its diffusion. The first minor towns and the “public libraries” were large Italian Public Libraries, founded in born. However, the historical expansion of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Libraries in Italy has not been consistent Ambrosiana in Milan, the Angelica in and there are profound regional differences, Roma, some of today’s National Libraries the greatest concentration of Libraries in Florence, Rome, Naples, Milan, being in the North. Turin as well as numerous University In 18th century Sicily the first large Libraries, became places of study and Public Libraries were founded in the not just buildings for the preservation of Island’s principal cities. As the result of a 7 cultural climate characterised by zealous Recupero. In 1760, Palermo, having philosophical and historical research, the received an important gift from the Bishop Libraries expanded greatly throughout the of Mazara, Marco La Cava, was granted by following century. Up to then scholars the City Senate the possibility of founding had only been able to utilise either the a Library in the Casa Professa, in premises ecclesiastical libraries or the private which had been obtained by Alessandro collections of the nobility, such as the Vanni, Prince of San Vincenzo, from magnificent library of Francesco Sclafani Ferdinand III in 1755.