The State Library and Book Heritage is the National Library of San Marino and is the first library institution serving the community.
The origins of the Public Library of San Marino
Already in the year 1826 the Regency of the Republic manifested the desire to increase in young people the fervor and love for studies by officially proposing the establishment of a public library, but it was only in 1839 that the Prince and Sovereign Council established the purchase of the considerable book collection belonging to the Onofri Family, which was placed in Palazzo Valloni where the Library of the same Valloni Family was already present and lying unused.
The purpose of the acquisition was to unite and order this book heritage so that it would be placed at the disposal of local scholars and contribute to elevating their knowledge in the various fields of human knowledge.
As happened with the major historical and preservation libraries, what further increased this first book nucleus were the numerous donations that followed over the years and helped give birth to the San Marino Public Library.
The quantity of volumes grew particularly in the first decade of the 20th century with donations from the Biblioteca Comunicativa of Bologna, the Broccoli Families of Naples, Nardi of Bologna, Monsignor Renato Paolini, and the collection of Achille Tellini’s publications, of particular interest to natural science scholars.
The prestige of the Library was further enhanced also through the work of those who were responsible for giving a real systematic order to the book collection, its enhancement and dissemination such as: Federico Gozi; Pietro Franciosi; and Onofrio Fattori. The latter was entrusted with the first official position of “Conservator of the Library”, and he carried out a vast work of retrieval not only of books, but also of memorabilia, autographs of famous people and prints. In 1954, Prof. Pietro Zama of Faenza was called in and he made his expertise available for the reorganization of the materials stored at Palazzo Valloni, which, in the meantime, had also suffered serious damage in the June 26, 1944 bombing.
The Biblioteca di Stato e Beni Librari is still housed at the historic Palazzo Valloni, located in the historic center of San Marino, within the Republic’s city walls.
Current Endowment
In addition to modern and contemporary publications and Italian and foreign periodicals, the Library owns manuscript works including important letters and correspondence.
These manuscripts are stored in large collections of local content: historical, documentary, literary, ecclesiastical, musical. Noteworthy are the autographs preserved at the Institute. A particularly valuable and rare section consists of incunabula and Cinquecentine.
Research Areas
– San Marino Bibliography Section
– Emeroteca
– Documentation Center
– Antiquarian Funds
– Pietro Franciosi Fund
– Photographic Archives of Local History
– Open Shelf Consultation Rooms
– Internet station with free connection
– Reference Service
Services
– On-site bibliographic consultations
– Lending according to current standards
– Interlibrary loan
– Planning of cultural events
– Conservation and restoration activities of printed materials at the Institute’s in-house Restoration Laboratory
– Organization of Conferences, Exhibitions of the State Library’s material and Seminars, in collaboration with local and/or foreign Cultural Bodies/Associations
– Preparation of research at the request of Bodies and Institutions
Biblioteca di Stato e Beni Librari
Contrada Omerelli, 13 (Old Town)
Phone +378 0549-882248, Fax 0549-882295
E-mail bibliotecadistato@pa.sm
www.bibliotecadistato.sm
The Biblioteca di Stato e Beni Librari of the Rep. of San Marino is part of the Italian National Library System – Polo SBN Romagna.
Within the OPAC of the Library Network of Romagna and San Marino you can access the Official Catalog:
https://scoprirete.bibliotecheromagna.it
