Biblioteca Statale di Lucca

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The Biblioteca Statale di Lucca, which is presently located in the ex convent of "S. Maria Corteorlandini dell'ordine dei Chierici regolari della madre di Dio", took its origin from the Library of S. Frediano Lateran Canonical established in the XVIIth century by Abbot Girolamo Minutoli. In 1791 the Republic of Lucca gave the Library Legal Deposit for Lucca and an annual allocation of funds for buying books. In 1794 the Library was opened to the public.


In 1861 the Library was taken over by the Italian Kingdom and in 1877 was moved to its present venue after a large allocation of books coming from the clerical Libraries of Lucca, which enriched its collections considerably. The original "Library" of the regular Clergy Order, containing about 13.000 volumes, is found in the magnificent Seventeenth-century Hall called "Santa Maria Nera", situated on the top floor of the building.


The Library depends on the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali. Its activity is determined through the State Public Libraries Regulations (D.P.R. 5/7//1995 n. 417) and through internal administration.

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