Story
The Casanatense owes its origins to Cardinal Girolamo Casanate (1620–1700) who, in addition to bequeathing a sum of money, entrusted his book collection to the Dominicans of the Convent of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome in his will.
Bibliographic Collections
The Library holds around 400,000 volumes, of which around 60,000 are still housed in the historic Monumental Hall. This collection includes over 120,000 antique printed books and more than 6,000 manuscripts.
Catalogues
The Casanatense Library has been part of the SBN Catalogue since 1991. All items in its collection published from that date onwards, as well as earlier material that has been added to the Catalogue over time, can therefore be found in the OPAC.
Minerva Access
The Casanatense Library has adopted the Minerva Access IT system, which is capable of providing fast and efficient services for booking, consulting and borrowing items from its collection.
Digital Shelves
Thanks to our subscription to OCLC’s CONTENTdm service, you can access the Library’s digital collections from any device, in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Support the Library
With an Art Bonus donation, you can choose which of the Library’s projects to support: the restoration of rare volumes, initiatives to showcase and promote our heritage, or the concert season.
Public Notices
Sale of the catalogue “Le creature dell’immaginario nell’illustrazione libraria”
We would like to inform our visitors that the catalogue for the exhibition ‘Creature dell’immaginario nell’illustrazione libraria’ by Massimiliano Albanese, published by @edizioniefesto, is also on sale at the Library
Closed to the public on Thursday 8 October
Si avvisano i gentili utenti che il giorno 8 ottobre la biblioteca rimarrà chiusa al pubblico. Ci scusiamo per il disagio.
Opening hours and closures on Thursday 24 September
We would like to inform our visitors that on Thursday 24 September, the reading rooms will open at 12.00, and visits to the exhibition hall will not be possible throughout the day. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Events & Exhibitions
Editorials
Events & Exhibitions
Editorials