Library Visits Schedule, May 14
Please join us for a walking tour of Florentine Libraries. The tour will include guided visits to two historical libraries in the morning, a lunch break, and the state archives in the afternoon.
Space will be limited; a sign-up form will be sent to all registered participants after the close of conference registration. Sign-up will be limited to registered participants.
Lunch break: You are welcome to have lunch on your own or join the tour group for a prix-fixe lunch at a local Florentine restaurant. The prix-fixe lunch will cost 15€ and payment (cash only, please) will be collected at the time of sign-up during the conference.
More detailed information will be available during the conference, including a map, meeting points, lunch menu, and contact people.
09:00 – 10:00 Biblioteca Laurenziana
10:00 – 11:00 Ice cream/coffee
11:00 – 12:00 Biblioteca Riccardiana
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
15:00 – 16:00 Archivio di Stato
16:00 – Ice cream/coffee
La Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana is architecturally and historically one of the most important libraries in Florence. Designed by Michelangelo in the 16th century, the library opened to the public in 1571. The private library of the Medici formed the original core of the collection, which now includes nearly 11,000 manuscripts, 2300 papyri, in addition to its enormous collections of books, over 1600 of which date to the 16th century.
The Biblioteca Riccardiana was founded in 1600 by Riccardo Riccardi and moved to its current location in 1670 after the Riccardi family acquired the palace from the Medici. It was opened to the public in 1715 and has been administered by the Italian government since the early 19 th century. The library is particularly noted for its manuscript collections, including autographs by important humanists, and its collections of rare printed volumes. The splendid reading room is decorated with frescoes by Luca Giordano dating from the 1680s.
The State Archive of Florence preserves over 75 km of documentary material, from the VIII century. today, collected in over 600 funds and made up of the most diverse types. which bears the historical memory of Florence and Tuscany and which make the Archive a point of reference for researchers from all over the world.