Biblioteca Casanatense

The Library is a public library Casanatense in Rome, which goes back to a foundation of Cardinal Girolamo Casanate (1620-1700) and was operated until 1884 by the Dominicans at Santa Maria sopra Minerva. In 1701 it was opened after its own building, designed by the architect Antonio Maria Borioni was completed on the grounds of the convent, and led the testamentary provisions of the Cardinal accordingly as a public library.

Of the approximately 20,000 books of the private library of the Cardinal, however, only a few are still safe in today's population of nearly 400,000 volumes prove, of which 60,000 are in latticed shelves in the main hall of the library. In addition to the approximately 6,000 manuscripts and 2,200 incunabula are 13,000 prints of the 16th century ( cinquecentine ) available. The Casanatense exchanged regularly duplicates of manuscripts and printed works with the Holy Office, therefore it has considerable holdings on the history of the Catholic missions in China from the 16th to the 18th century. The Fondo Editti e bandi pontifici comprises 71,000 printed documents, from the early 16th century to 1870, important sources for the history of the Roman Curia and the Papal States. 1500 of these volumes contain material to the Roman Inquisition, plus 300 more from other stocks, which together form the Raccolta di bandi dell'Inquisizione Romana. Several volumes are related to the activity of the founder Casanate in charge of the Inquisition and the Index Congregation Cardinal.

Around 300 of the manuscripts are illuminated. Among these liturgical roles of Benevento are like the Exultet role Cas. 724/III (formerly BI 13) from the 12th century. The roles Cas 724 / I and 724/II are a Pontificale and a Benedictionale, also from Benevento. Among the pure text manuscripts include canons apostolorum from the 8th century, the Liber Ecclesiae Beneventanae Maiori, with a calendar of the 9th century, a Roman Pontifical of the 11th century.

1873, the decree on the nationalization of church libraries was also applied to Rome. First, the Dominicans staff from the Roman National Library was set aside and unified management. The building of the National Library, a transition was created. 1884 ended the Order of the strained against the nationalization process of the library with a defeat. Then, the Dominican library staff was completely replaced by officials of the kingdom. In 1898 the entrance to the library was moved to the Via Ignatius, after the premises were also been extended. Essential for the reorganization of its directors Casanatense Ignazio Giorgi (1899-1923) and Luigi De Gregori (1925-1936) contributed in the 20th century.