Verona, two new rooms opened at the Chapter Library

Seven months after the inauguration of the sumptuous monumental hall and frescoed rooms, the Verona Chapter Library, guardian of a centuries-old heritage, opens its doors to two new rooms. It is a historic moment that marks a new milestone for this thousand-year-old institution, considered the oldest library in the world still in operation. This new phase represents the second chapter of an ambitious transformation and renovation project launched by the Chapter Library Foundation in September 2023. The goal is to promote the library’s museum potential through innovative solutions aimed at a national and international audience.

The exhibition and multimedia layout was created by the NEO [Narrative Environments Operas] studio, thanks to the contribution of Cartiere Saci of Verona. This collaboration enabled the harmonious integration of ancient and modern elements, creating a unique experience that celebrates the past while looking to the future.

“This is a further qualitative leap to bring this treasure to ever greater usability and knowledge by the general public,” says Msgr. Bruno Fasani, president of the Chapter Library Foundation. “As Cartiere Saci,” says President Lorenzo Poli, “I wanted to support this second stage of the museum project, because I believe that business has value and social responsibilities especially in a time where everything, at the political-international level, seems to be getting more complicated by the day. That is why I consider it an honor to have contributed to the opening to the general public of two more rooms of our paper treasure chest that guards our history while revealing the roots of our present and the cultural and artistic beauty that surrounds us.”

The Capitol Library Foundation’s museum proposal is enriched with two new rooms, thus expanding the view of the rich and significant heritage preserved within this historic place. In addition to the traditional exhibits, visitors will have the opportunity to embark on a kind of time travel, immersing themselves in the stories of ancient texts thanks to the new multilingual digital readers.

In the first room, visitors’ eyes will linger on the display case that holds the precious manuscript of Ursicinus, dated 517 A.D., an ancient reader of the Verona church. This work represents the earliest evidence of the existence of Verona’s Scriptorium and marks the beginning of the Chapter Library’s thousand-year history, a journey into the past that takes us back more than 1,500 years. This manuscript has the distinction of being the oldest volume in the Western Latin world to have come down to us with a date and the name of its copyist, a rarity in the early Middle Ages. Next to the Ursicinus manuscript, it finds its place an ivory valva also dated 517 AD, decorated with a depiction of the consul Anastasius. This precious object, acquired by the Veronese intellectual Scipione Maffei (1675-1755) and later donated to the Library, represents a valuable document on the ceremony of the election of consuls, used as a tool of imperial propaganda.

In the adjacent room, visitors will be able to admire other important manuscripts, including the famous Veronese Riddle (late 8th/early 9th century), known to be the first written record of the vernacular language in its earliest days, a valuable piece of the linguistic and cultural history of the time.

The third room is devoted to the treasures of the canons, a collection that includes liturgical furnishings, paintings, sculptures, and archaeological finds from various periods and styles. These treasures were donated to the Chapter by the canons themselves, by private benefactors, or come directly from the churches and their associated environments. Among the most significant pieces is the display case dedicated to the Cathedral’s choir books, which offers visitors an experience through the use of touchscreens and wire broadcasting. This allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the history and beauty of the manuscripts, enabling an interactive and informative approach.

New arrangements of the Chapter Library of

New arrangements of the Chapter Library of

New arrangements of the Chapter Library of

New arrangements of the Chapterof Verona

The third and final phase of the rearrangement plan will focus mainly on the space along the riverfront, where additional multimedia systems, digital monitors, and new display cases will be installed. This will allow visitors to enjoy an even richer and more engaging experience, further enriching the museum offerings of the Verona Chapter Library.

In addition, the Chapter Library Foundation’s vision expands further with the design of a cultural Hub, already underway, called the “Cultural Hub,” which will be built in the three-story building overlooking Piazza Duomo. The primary stated goal is to become an international center of excellence for integrated book study and collection-based research support, uniting written culture, contemporary technology and people in order to foster access to and understanding of intellectual heritage locally and globally.

The project involves collaborations with other manuscript-related institutions and initiatives around the world, promoting international meetings, fellowships and funded scholarship. The Chapter Library will adapt its spaces to meet these needs, including study rooms and space for international events and workshops. The fundamental mission is to enhance artistic and documentary holdings and promote scientific research through active and ongoing collaboration with numerous European and American universities.

Then, during the press conference, the new video presentation of the Chapter House, created by the EssilorLuxottica creative team as part of “Eyes on Art,” was previewed. This initiative, launched in 2020, aims to make art accessible in innovative ways, promoting the democratization of art, a key element of Eyes on the Planet, the Group’s sustainability program. The video will be shown from April 15 to May 24, 2024, and will take the Chapter Library around the world, thanks to the campaign on large urban screens provided by EssilorLuxottica, both in Milan (Piazzale Cadorna, Piazza Cordusio and San Babila) and New York (5th Avenue). It will also be visible on in-house digital screens in the Group’s offices. This initiative is part of the 2023 call for cultural communication promoted by the Fondazione Italia Patria della Bellezza, which saw the Chapter Library win the EssilorLuxottica Digital Award with the “Stra-Ordinario Sapere” project. Already in 2022, within the same call for proposals, the Chapter Library was selected among the adopted projects, with the task of entrusting the Reflektor studio with the rebranding of the brand.

Finally, in the context of the relaunch of the Chapter Library, the new advertising campaign, created in collaboration with the Verona-based agency Clab Comunicazione, was presented. The slogan “In Verona even books are monuments” is the centerpiece of the campaign, accompanied by a visual that recalls the shape of the Arena of Verona, transformed into a structure made of books. This visual celebrates the “monumental” heritage kept in the halls of the Chapter Library, offering an immediately recognizable image associated with ancient books. Each element of the visual was made from volumes and shelves actually present in the library, giving authenticity and meaning to the representation. The new campaign payoff, “Open-book treasures” (“An open-book treasure house”), emphasizes the concept that everyone can discover treasures and roots in the history preserved in the Chapter Library.

The Chapter Library exhibit is open to the public Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with last admission at 5:30 p.m.). Closed days: Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also active since March 29 is the ticket with Association of Living Churches that allows access to the

Capitolare and Verona’s chargeable churches; the ticket can be purchased at the ticket offices of the Cathedral, San Fermo, Sant’Anastasia and San Zeno. Information can be found at www.bibliotecacapitolare.it.

Verona, two new rooms opened at the Chapter Library

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.