Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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The Malatesta Novello Library
Inscribed 2005
What is it
This library contains manuscripts on philosophy and
theology as well as classical and scientific books. The
collection is kept in its original building in the town
of Cesena, and is one of the oldest public libraries
in Europe.
Why was it inscribed
The collection is a unique example of a humanistic
library of the Renaissance, a time when the dominance
of Christian writing and teaching was giving way to
more secular considerations. It is a rare example of a
complete, beautifully preserved collection from the mid-
15th century, just before the advent of printing in Europe.
Where is it
Malatesta Novello Library, Cesena, Italy
The Malatesta Novello Library (Biblioteca Malatestiana)
was the last library dating from immediately before the
invention of printing and embodies the very concept of a
142 The Malatesta Novello Library
humanist library. The architectural design by Matteo Nuti
is innovative, but the focus and essence of the library are
the books themselves. Besides the great works of medieval
culture, Malatesta Novello, the Lord of Cesena, collected
the fruits of the classical Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Arab
traditions so that he could create a library worthy of a
Renaissance prince, and comparable to those in Florence,
Milan, Ferrara and Rome.
The library, built in the Convent of St Francis, consists of
343 codices of different provenances and eras. To establish
this collection, Malatesta Novello added 126 codices,
produced by his own scriptorium between 1450 and 1465
� The entrance to the Malatesta Novello Library, built in the mid-
15th century in Cesena, Italy.