This week I worked on the following timeline. I used a range of resources and at times the dates were a little different. I used the book 'The Vatican Library" as my main source and where dates different used the dates in this book.
This is a very brief timeline and when looking at the history of the library it is important to also look at the history of the times. For example, the effect of the 30 year war, which initially was a conflict between the Catholic and Protestant churches.
When you start looking at European history you could go on forever at it is complex and involved many different races, religions and political powers.
Evidence of the Roman church having a library and an archive. | 4th Century | |
End of 8th Century | A document dated to 784 refers to a Theophylactus. This was given to the Librarian. | |
Archives and library of the Popes were dispersed. The reasons are unknown. | First half of the 13th century | |
1451 | Pope Nicholas V conceives the idea of a library for the convenience of the learned. He sends representatives all of Europe to search for valuable manuscripts for the library. The collection number around 1160 books. | |
Pope Sixtus IV installs the books in a restored suite of rooms. | 1475 | |
1481 | Bartolomeo Platina is named as the Vatican’s first formal librarian. A catalogue of books is taken and the collection has 3500 entries. | |
Purchase of the famous library of Fulvio Orsini. | 1500 | |
1517 | Protestant reformation begins | |
The codices from the monastery San Colombano are incorporated into the Vatican Library | 1518 | . |
1558 | Index of banned books is produced. | |
Most of the holdings of the Palatine Library in Heidelberg became part of the Vatican Library collection. | 1623 | |
Mid 1600’s | The Library welcomed all scholars including Protestants. It acquired many new manuscripts and books. | |
Pope Pius VI strictly limits the consultation of manuscripts, prompting Spanish priest Juan Andres to accuse the pope of overseeing a "cemetery of books not a library." | 1785 | |
1883 | Pope Leo XIII formally declares the Library open to qualified researchers. | |
The Library of Congress and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace help modernize the Vatican Library's book catalogue system. | 1927 - 1939 | |
1992 | Vatican Library holdings number almost 2 million printed books and serials. | |
Library closes for refurbishment. | 2007 | |
2010 | Library reopens. |
Resources
Stickler, AM, Boyle LE (eds.) 1989, The Vatican Library : its history and treasures, Belsen, New York
No comments:
Post a Comment