Nel grande spazio di Prato della Valle, in the heart of Padua and yet surrounded by greenery and silence, there is an Abbey rich in history, built near the Basilica erected in the 5th century on the tomb of Saint Justina, virgin and protomartyr of Padua. From this important center of monastic life began in the 15th century the reform that gave rise to the “Congregation of Saint Justina”, from 1505 “Cassinese”. The Monastery, equipped with as many as five cloisters, was suppressed by Emperor Napoleon in 1810 and transformed into a barracks; reopened in 1919, since the end of the Second World War it has increasingly distinguished itself with cultural activities, including the Institute of Pastoral Liturgy attached to the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm in Rome, the Ancient Book restoration laboratory and the Library. The latter has existed since the first settlement of the monks (10th century), following the traditional love for culture inspired by Saint Benedict. In the 15th century it was enriched with numerous choir books, richly illuminated: in 1493 there were as many as 1337, kept in the ancient Library, the current “Saint Luke Hall”. With increasingly close ties to the Studio (the University) of Padua, the collection grew so much that a new location became necessary; a large hall (30x10m) was thus built, furnished with shelving by the Flemish architect Michele Bartems (ca. 1640-1716). At the time of the Napoleonic suppression (1810) the collection was rich with 80,000 volumes, which were dispersed in various locations. Its funds benefited the Braidense Library of Milan, the Marciana of Venice, the Civic Museum and the University Library of Padua; other volumes went into antiquarian trade and are scattered worldwide: from Paris to London, from New York to Los Angeles, from Cape Town to Berlin and Budapest. The Abbey resurrected in 1919, and the new monks gradually increased its holdings until reaching the current collection of 140,000 volumes: it specializes in religious sciences (Bible, patristics, theology, liturgy) and history (monastic, ecclesiastical and local), but its funds also include other disciplines such as philosophy and Italian and classical literature and art history. It also has 1300 periodicals, of which 500 current.
Reborn in 1943 as a library exclusively serving the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Justina, it instead acquired its current profile as a state public library, open for consultation to every Italian citizen (and by extension to every citizen of the European Union).
Information about the State Library of the National Monument of Saint Justina
via G. Ferrari , 2/A
Padua (Padua)
049 8751948
bmn-sng@beniculturali.it
https://www.bibliotecasantagiustina.it/home.html
Mon. and Tue.: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM; 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Wed. – Fri.: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Sat.: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Source: MIBACT
