THE GREAT LIBRARIES OF ROME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 179, 1 September 1876, Page 13

THE GREAT LIBRARIES OF ROME.

Rome has five great libraries — the Vatican, the Casanatense or Minerva, the Angelica or St. Augustine, the Universitaria ox 1 Allessandra, and the Vaticelliana. The four last are open two days in the week for a few hours. The Vatican.library needs almost royal orders to have its precious closets unlocked. Its codici and documents are preziosissimi. Its rare editions are marvels. But its disorder and bad arrangement, lam told, are discouraging. A droll story is related of Ampere. The delightful author of " L'Histoire et l'Empire Roniaine a Rome " came to the great city of Emperors and Popes with the intention of writing an impossible book. He meant to begin in the Vatican library and archives. Great influences were brought to tear upon those mysterious locks. One day three knocks were heard, the doors opened, Ampere entered. The "open sesame " was his and all the treasures of the vast library were at his disposal. The twenty-five thousand manuscripts, the greatest collection in the world, the thousands and thousands of printed volumes, and also the mysterious archives. Ampere asked for a few books, and then for some manucripts, looked at them, then ■went into the archives — then left. He came for three days in succession, and appeared to be taking notes. Then he stopped coming, and his form never darkened the door or troubled the grand ofd literary receptacles and their rare treasures again. The impossible book, thank heaven, Avas never written. But the brilliant author was seen for months and years studying in a finer library than the Vatican. He would be found sitting on the Palatine Hill at all hours of the day, or ruminating in the Forum Boarium, by the arch of Janus Quadrifrons, or standing in deep reverie on the Piazza of St. John of Lateran, that most wonderfnl spot, the place of places for the poet and the student. The grand view gives you an epitome of this mysterious old Borne — ancient and modern, Pagan and Christian, Imperial and Papal. It is a place for solemn •yeditation and for that interior study which is better than any * tK>ks can give, but which comes only after much reading of books. Ampere found there better food for his work than in that sanctumsanctorum of history the great Vatican archives ; and the fruit is ours, which we can forever gather from those charming books he wrote on Home, literally and truly in Rome. Besides the five great public libraries of Borne there are several private ones that are also open to the public at certain periods, such as the Corsini, the Barberini, etc. The Casanatense library, which is second in rank, is annexed to the titular church of our American Cardinal McCloskey, St. Maria Sopra Minerva. It was founded by the learned Cardinal Casanato— a Neapolitan by birth, a Spaniard by family — when he died in 1700. For fifty years this distinguished prelate held prominent positions in the Papal Court, was the friend of many of the Popes, and director of the Vatican library. He died in 1 700, and left an eternal memory of himself in this great library which is one of the glories of Borne. Its sumptuous hall was built by Carlo Fontana, the celebrated architect, and Le Gros made the statue of

Cardinal Casanato which stands there. The library has 150,000 volumes and 5,000 MSS. The Angalica, annexed to the superb Church of St. Augustine, is one of the most interesting of public libraries. It takes its name from the founder,! Monsignor Angelo Bocca, a very learned prelate, who flourished also during the Pontificate of Clement VIII. He -was famous for his erudition. In Novas' dissertation upon Tiriters on Pontifical vestments, etc., there is a list of fifteen books written by this prelate in Latin upon rites and ceremonies, upon mitres and tiaras, upon the Pontifical celebration of the Eucharist, etc., etc. The Angelica library is one of the richest in Borne. It has 100,000 volumes, many of them of the rarest editions, some of them cinque-cento, with costly, precious bindings; and. 4,000 MSS, Syriac and Chinese, Coptic, as well as Latin and Greek j a Syriac Gospel of the seventh century, a Dante of the fourteenth century. Vanutelli designed the present library hall near the end of the seventeenth century. The University of Sapienza. library is called Allessandrina, from its latest and most powerful patron, Alexander VII. (Chigi, 1665-67). Moroni says it was founded by Eugenius IV. (Condolmieri, 14.31-1547), augumented by Leo X , continued by Sixtus V., increased by Urban VIII., and completed by Alexander VII. But with all these Papal patrons, it has only 60,000 volumes. The Valicella is annexed to St. Maria in Valicella or Chiesa Nuova, the vast building erected by the " Apostle of Borne," St. Filippo di Neri, in 1576, that wise man who said among many other clever things, omnia vanitas preeter currum in urbe — all is vanity but a carriage in town. Valicella means little valley, and there used to be one where tlie church stands. The library was begun by Baronius during his vast historical labors, and continued by the Oratorian Fathers who were established in the convent and church of St. Filippo's library. Its MSS. are very valuable, also its Greek and Latin codici. It has a bible of the eighth century, which tradition says was brought to Borne by Alcuin ; several inedited manuscripts of Cardinal Baronius ; and a great treasure, Ennarationes in Palsmos on parchment, by St. Augustine. — * Independent.'