International Library La Vigna (Vicenza, Italy)

Centro di Cultura e Civiltà Contadina - Biblioteca Internazionale La Vigna is a documentation center for agriculture and oenology. It is considered one of the most important institutions for ampelography world.

The "International Library La Vigna " is headquartered in Vicenza in Contrà Porta Santa Croce No. 3, a building from the 19th century which has been restored by the architect Carlo Scarpa in the Palazzo Brusarosco.

History of the institution

The " Centro di Cultura e Civiltà Contadina - Biblioteca Internazionale La Vigna " was founded by a native of Vicenza businessman Demetrio Zaccaria who was interested in since the mid- 50s of the 20th century for the subject of wine and viticulture. The first book of his collection was the "Dictionary of Wine" by Frank Schoonmaker, which made the start to a 20 -year collective activity in which an international library for researchers and lovers arose. Demetrio Zaccaria took part in international meetings, closing important connections worldwide and began to buy old and rare books. Important meeting André Simon in London, founder of the " International Wine and Food Society " and author of food and wine was.

In the seventies Zaccaria moved with his books of Toscolano on Lake Garda, where he had lived since 1958 in order to Vicenza. In 1980 he acquired the Palazzo Brusarosco, now home to the library. As a septuagenarian, he gave the Palazzo and his collection of about 10,000 works of Vicenza community because he was concerned about the future of his collection. Zaccaria took the post of Secretary General of the " Centro di Cultura e Civiltà Contadina " and was the first director of the " Biblioteca Internazionale La Vigna ". Demetrio Zaccaria died in 1993.

Seat of the Library

The documentation center and library are housed in the Palazzo Brusarosco. After the meager historical sources here was a house that was built within the city walls Scaliger in the 15th century. Ottone Calderari enlarged the house in the 18th century, in 1833 ordered the new owner Orazio Brusarosco the restoration of the portico and the facade by the architect Tommaso Becega. During the Second World War the palace was damaged by Allied bombing.

In the sixties, a native of Vicenza lawyer Ettore Gallo purchased the building. Under Carlo Scarpa was rebuilt: The lower lap was converted into an apartment, which are now used as administrative offices of the library, the second floor houses the actual library, on the second floor office and apartment Ettore Gallo were in the attic and other living spaces.

The generously designed and light-filled former apartment Gallos is now used for exhibitions and meetings.

Collections

The library contains about 50,000 works, most on farming, viticulture, apiculture, olive oil and honey production as well as gastronomy. It is constantly expanding with new publications, and antiquarian books and through donations.

The collection includes the most important historical literature Italian literature that was printed between the 16th and 17th centuries. Among its treasures the first modern treatise on gastronomy De honesta heard by Bartolomeo Platina voluptate of 1530 and several editions of De naturali historia vinorum the Roman physician Andrea Bacci ( 1596).

The physical, philological, historical, medical and chemical treatise Ampelographia (1660 ) by the German physician Philipp Jacob Sachs Löwenheim begins the series of treatises on ampelography that makes the library to a global reference point. Dithyramben are another part of the collection: The library has 63 editions of the obtained 82 of the Il Bacco in Toscana by Francesco Redi.

The most important part of collections:

  • Collection Fondo IRA ( Ispettorato Regionale per l' Agricoltura ), approximately 2,500 works from the late 19th to the early 20th century to agriculture in the area of Vicenza and Veneto. This collection was a gift from the " Ispettorato Regional dell'Agricoltura ".
  • Collection Fondo Fagiani, 1100 title to the Italian and European economy and the history of agriculture. It is a gift that coming from Vicenza historian Fernando Fagiani.
  • Collection Caproni, 6500 title to the Italian agricultural policy 1922-1943 as well as the subject of the reclamation. The collection also includes some historical writings on agriculture, such as " Della agricoltura " of Rutilio Tauro Palladio, printed in 1528 in Venice. This collection was purchased in 1997 by the heirs of Federico Caproni, a partner in the airline " industry Aeronautiche Caproni ".
  • Collection Fondo Galla, around 400 books and periodicals from the 20th and the 21st century on the subject of hunting, including textbooks on fishing and hunting techniques, numerous diaries and hunting reports, valuable illustrated books about birds and numerous encyclopedias. The oldest and most remarkable book in the collection is the 1790 printed " Del modo di piantare e una custodire ragnaja e di uccellare a ragna " which was published in 1790 and was falsely attributed to Bernardo Alessandra ( 1529-1606 ) and published in his " Opera Omnia ". Author of the book, in which the art to build bird traps and catch birds in these cases, is described in detail, GA Popoleschi. The collection was donated to the library by Mariano Galla 2007.

Host associations

The Documentation Centre maintains contacts with the following companies, which deal with oenology, gastronomy and environmental issues:

  • Associazione " Amici dei Parchi "
  • Accademia italiana " La Vite e il vino "
  • Accademia della cucina italiana - Sezione di Vicenza
  • Gruppo micologico Bresadola - Vicenza
1981
414363
de