civic library of verona

The Civic Library of Verona is one of the most important historical libraries in the Veneto, custodian of a book heritage of more than 800,000 volumes spanning from the 15th century to the present day. Located in Via Cappello, just steps from Juliet's House, the library occupies an elegant 16th-century palace that was the home of the noble Veronese Pompei family. Founded in 1792 by the will of the Venetian government, the library became public during the Napoleonic period and was progressively enriched thanks to donations from aristocratic families, confiscations of ecclesiastical assets and targeted acquisitions.

Today it is a lively cultural centre that houses not only reading and consultation rooms, but also temporary exhibitions, book presentations and lectures, continuing its mission of disseminating culture and knowledge.

The eighteenth-century foundation

The Civic Library was established in 1792 by the Republic of Venice as a public library intended for the education of citizens, in an era when access to books was still the privilege of a few. Its original location was in the Palazzo della Ragione in Piazza delle Erbe, where the book collections from some suppressed convent libraries initially flowed. In 1797, with the arrival of Napoleon and the fall of the Venetian Republic, the library underwent significant transformations.

The French government ordered the confiscation of ecclesiastical assets and many libraries of Veronese monasteries and convents were closed, with their precious book collections flowing into the Civic Library. This period marked an extraordinary growth of the heritage, which was enriched with medieval manuscripts, incunabula, 16th-century editions and rare works of inestimable historical and cultural value.

In 1870, after the Unification of Italy, the library was moved to its current location: the Palazzo Pompei-Carlotti in Via Cappello, an elegant Renaissance building from the 16th century. The palace, originally the residence of the noble Pompei family, had been renovated over the centuries and offered suitable spaces to accommodate the growing book collections. The building features an austere facade typical of Veronese Renaissance architecture, with rusticated portal and windows framed by pilasters.

Inside, the frescoed halls of the noble floor were adapted as reading and consultation rooms, while preserving the original decorative elements such as coffered ceilings, marble fireplaces and wall frescoes. The interior courtyard, with its arcade and central well, creates an intimate and silent atmosphere, ideal for study and concentration.

The Civic Library preserves a heritage of over 800,000 volumes, divided between the antique fund, the modern fund and specialised collections. The antique fund counts about 160,000 works printed from the 15th to the 19th century, including 700 incunabula (books printed before 1501) and over 15,000 16th-century editions. Particularly precious is the collection of manuscripts, which includes over 3,000 illuminated codices, historical documents and autographs of illustrious figures.

Among the special collections stand out: the Cartolari Fund with documents on Veronese history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century; the Music Fund with ancient scores and works by Veronese composers; the collection of prints and engravings with over 30,000 pieces documenting the history of graphic art from the 16th to the 20th century. The library also preserves important personal collections donated by Veronese scholars, writers and collectors. Of particular interest is the section dedicated to Veronese literature, which preserves all the editions of Dante's works related to Verona, manuscripts of Emilio Salgari (a Veronese writer, father of the Italian adventure novel), and a rich collection of works on Romeo and Juliet in different languages and interpretations.

The library also possesses one of the most complete collections of ancient editions of the Divine Comedy, testimony to the link between Dante and the Scaliger city that hosted the exiled poet.