Unexplored treasures

More about the book

The heritage of Ateneo di Firenze, housed in local libraries, includes nearly 3.5 million volumes, many of significant historical value. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue seek to highlight this invaluable collection through a display of ancient prints, manuscripts, and visually engaging documentary resources. The catalogue features 16th-century texts addressing diet, treatment, and surgery from the Biblioteca Biomedica, alongside documents from the Biblioteca di Scienze that trace the evolution of modern sciences. It also includes the Corpus Juris Civilis from the Biblioteca di Scienze Sociali, originally issued by Emperor Justinian I and influential until Napoleon's time, as well as works by Vitruvius and Leon Battista Alberti from the Biblioteca di Architettura, plus early 20th-century magazines. From the Biblioteca Umanistica, the collection showcases ancient and medieval texts, notable Medicean manuscripts like the Dudley manuscript, essential for Tuscan seafaring in the 17th century, and the Bernard Guillaume colored folio depicting coastal profiles. The catalogue wraps up with 20th-century manuscripts, featuring autographs from Ungaretti, Montale, Tozzi, and Giuliotti, along with two unpublished works by Dino Campana. Exhibition: Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, Italy (15.02.-23.06.2017)