A Private Journey into the Biblioteca Casanatense

Thanks to a special authorization, guests will have the rare opportunity to enter the magnificent Biblioteca Casanatense, founded by the Dominicans of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome and opened to the public in 1701.

The Library, which possesses around 400,000 volumes, of which about 60,000 remain preserved in the ancient Monumental Hall, was founded by Cardinal Girolamo Casanate. In 1698, the Cardinal bequeathed most of his estate to the Dominican fathers to create a public library and a center for the study and dissemination of Thomist doctrine.

Inaugurated on 3 November 1701, a year after Casanate’s death, the grand reading hall still houses the Cardinal’s private collection of over 25,000 volumes, including manuscripts, incunabula, and rare 16th- and 17th-century editions. His donation was made under one essential condition: that the Library remain open to the public as a place of learning and reflection.

Today, the Biblioteca Casanatense stands among Rome’s most evocative cultural sites, where the grandeur of Baroque architecture meets the serene majesty of knowledge. Its frescoed ceilings, wooden galleries, sculptures, and portraits of illustrious thinkers create an atmosphere of timeless intellectual beauty.

Upon request, the visit may include an exclusive presentation of rare and ancient books from the Library’s collection, introduced by a curator and accompanied by a member of the Library’s staff — a truly unforgettable experience of art, culture, and history intertwined.