Roncioniana Library of Prato

Presentation of the library

The "Roncioniana" is the most ancient library of Prato and was founded in 1722 by the will and testament of the noble Marco Roncioni. Since its establishment it has always been public, multidisciplinary and entrusted the care of the library to someone chosen among the canons of the cathedral, situated in the elegant Palazzo Roncioni, a building specially designed to be a "Library".

The historical library preserves a rich collection of local and general interest, among which we must remember the collection of manuscripts (form the 13th to the 19th century) belonging to the Funds Roncioni, Cesare Guasti, Caccini-Del Vernaccia. Among the owned manuscripts we find a sacred Bible and a summer Omiliario of the second quarter of the 12th century, both miniature, the Burchardus Wormatiensis of the first quarter of the 12th century, various precious codex of the 15th century belonging to Gimignano Inghirami, a book of the "Genealogiae deorum gentilium" of Giovanni Boccaccio of the last quarter of the 14th century.

Among the rare and precious books we must remember also some of the Cinquecentine (written in the 16th century) of great beauty and rarity, such as a polyglot Bible by Platin and a rare edition of Novum Instrumentum by Erasmus. The collection of historical newspapers and magazines from Prato of the 19th century, unique for the wealth of articles and completeness, is described in the catalogue of Prato's periodicals (by E. Giommi, Prato, Public Library "A. Lazzerini", 1982-1986), a tool which lists all the local periodical publications (1867-1943). By the will of its founder, the library is headed by a pries of the clergy of Prato and a Council of Seniors, which once were the representatives of six noble families of Prato.

Funds

Funds of manuscripts:

• Roncioniano (literature, local history, the writings of authors from Prato);
• Cesare Guasti (divided into 4 sections: 1. Manuscripts of the works of Guasti; 2. Various manuscripts collected by Guasti; 3 Correspondence; 4. Publications);
• Caccini-Del Vernaccia (economic history 15th - 18th century).

Funds of local interest:

• within the Fund Roncioniano are preserved documents related to personalities of Prato.

Resources

• 50.858 books and pamphlets of the period between the 18th and 21st century, of which about 6.000 are of local interest and 3500were printed and published in Prato.
• 2268 books of the 17th century;
• 1638 books of the 16th century;
• 37 books of the 15th century;
• Minor publications (acts of trade unions, political, religious, recreational associations,…);
• Collection of Italian and foreign magazines of the 19th-20th century, of which those printed in Prato and Tuscany are of particular importance;
• 1011 CD of classical music;
• 150 prints b/n of the photo fund.

Reading seats

48

Note: the access to the reading room of the library is permitted to a maximum of 20 persons, until the end of the works for the adaptation of the plants to the current regulations.

Service

• Information and consultation of specialized literature;
• Bibliographic and historical research;
• Consultation of printed material and manuscripts;
• Interlibrary loan;
• Meetings and conferences;
• Restoration of library material.