Pistoia : Forteguerriana library dated 1473 it’s one of the oldest in Italy.
When I was a student this was my library & it was the only one in Pistoia .forteguerriana.comune.pistoia.it
All the past generations have studied here surronded by these old shelves full of handmade old books & some of them also written by hands!
Founded in 1473 after the Cardinal Niccoló Forteguerri ‘s death who decided to leave his precious private collection of books to a so called : “pia casa della sapienza “= house of wisdom , so that clerical people could enjoy it.
In 1696 Ferdinando II de’ Medici – Grand duke of Tuscany – decided to open it to public as it is still nowadays.
There are more than 1000 manuscripts, 126 incunabula, 3000 trecentine & old English books of Shakespeare’s masterpieces & some new ones aboot local history .
In 2007 the biggest librery of Tuscany opened in Pistoia – San Giorgio is its name – near the train station & so the Forteguerriana library is now used for consultation only.
I have been back there yesterday & after about 30 years many things are changed : the rooms I remembered sooo BIG are no more so big on my adults’ eyes! A lift was there thst wasn’t exist 30 years ago & I saw books I’ve never noticed before ….I wasn’t allowed to visit another room where people were stuying… as I was used to do in the past too!
The librarian – who met me on the stairs while I was trying to remember through my nose vibrations my old memories of those days passed there to study , sure! but also to look to the handsome older boys in the other rooms ( they were attending to the University ) gave me a brochure as if I were a visitor, a foreign …..
How I wish I could dared to tell her : excuse me but I spent lot of time among these walls…I really don’t need any information about this library as when I was younger & my mind was full of dreams & hopes , I used to run on these stairs up & down as a cat !
You don’t know me but these stairs, yes , I think they still do !😍😍😍
Nothing compared to the New York library or the Laurenziana in Florence but for me it remains one if the most beautiful I’ve ever seen☺️💓🙃
Enjoy my photos !
