The Library of Saint Mark (Marciana):
The largest library in Venice, the national library, can be proud of its collection, which includes over a million printed editions, approximately 13,000 manuscripts, and more than 24,000 books from the early days of printing in the 16th century.
The “starting capital” (in terms of the book collection) and one of the jewels of the current collection was a generous gift from the Byzantine humanist, teacher, and collector Cardinal Bessarion, who donated 750 manuscripts to the library. It is one of the oldest collections of manuscripts open to public viewing in the country.
Over the course of the library’s existence, wealthy families from Venice have repeatedly brought similar gifts.
Today, the library houses one of the largest collections of classical texts in the world.
The current beautiful Renaissance building of the library, richly decorated with arches, columns, and sculptures, was built later than the main collection. Construction began in 1537 in the San Marco district. The project was designed by Jacopo Sansovino, but after several decades, the building was completed by architect Vincenzo Scamozzi.
Simultaneously with the library, a neighboring mint (“Zecca”) was built according to Sansovino’s project, and its building was also handed over to the library in 1904.
Do not confuse the Marciana Library with the State Archive of the Venetian Republic, which is located in another part of the city.
The first 16 arcades of the library were built between 1537 and 1553, and work on the creation of frescoes and other decorative elements continued until 1560. In 1570, Sansovino died, and Scamozzi began the completion of the library only in 1588. As a result, five more arcades were added to the structure. Not only the exterior of the library is remarkable, but also its interiors. Outstanding masters of the era worked on their decoration, including Andrea Meldolla, Paolo Veronese, and Francesco Salviati.
Like the British Library and the Library of Congress in the USA later on, the Marciana Library greatly benefited from the law of 1603, which mandated sending a copy of any book printed in Venice here. It is considered to be the first such law enacted in the world.
Among the true treasures stored in the library, one can mention 13 volumes with hand-painted anatomical illustrations, 216 manuscripts, including the codes of the Mantuan Gonzaga family, a collection of 340 manuscripts, among which is the will of Marco Polo, as well as unique scores of operas by Francesco Cavalli and sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
Open every day except Sunday, December 24, and January 1.
