The Vatican Library - Find Ancient Secrets of Knowledge

Explore the incredible Vatican Library with TravelVatican.com. This ancient resource of knowledge was accumulated over centuries, and for our generation it is only a few hours of flight away. Keep in mind though, that the library is temporarily closed for renovation and will stay so until September 2010.

Church and education goes hand in hand and all popes in history kept their own book collection on various topics. The popes of the Renaissance in particularly were nearly obsessed by their love for books which they were willing to buy, rent, borrow and at times confiscate or steal these handwritten masterpieces. They were as important to the leaders of the church as paintings, sculptures and the magnificent architectural designs thought of by the best of artists. As generation progressed the papal library became a treasure, no less than the expensive artifacts and mosaics.

And yet, only in the mid 15 hundreds an official book collection was made for the use of clergy and papacy. Established in 1475, the Vatican Library is one of the oldest libraries in the world. It holds scripts of high educational importance as well as incredible collections of scientific, historical and spiritual texts.

On this grand library you can find 75,000 codices from different periods in history that offer a glimpse into many great political and cultural battles. The materials found in the Vatican Library are quite different than one would expect to find in the central heart of the Catholic faith. There are, most certainly, abundant religious scripts, Holy Bible, theological discussions and laws, but these books form but a small part. From the beginning the essence of this place was the secular works. Classical writing in Latin and Greek, ancient Roman writings and even Chinese subscripts – all were carefully collected. During renaissance scholars could access these treasures freely and enjoy the endless resource of history, philosophy, science and theology.

This collection indeed tells the story of social evolution, of the passing time and on the progress of thought and faith. They follow the evolvement of art, technology, music and education in Europe, Asian and the Islamic world. They offer fascinating insight of common law, spiritual uncertainties and through it they tell the tale of humanity itself. Visitors to the library cannot help but feeling overwhelmed when faced with this ancient richness, memorial of generations that once walked the earth.

Until today, the Vatican Library is a research library. Any scholar that can offer proper documentation and qualification can view most of the materials freely.

For more information regarding the Vatican Library, there are many web sites that offer data on this topic. You can try the vaticanlibrary.va for facts related to specific books or manuscripts.