The Art surrounding the Library

Hello!

This is my 4th entry into my blog on discovering the history of the Vatican City Library.

This week I have been trawling through documents and internet websites about the art that surrounds the library itself; being the Vatican, it is abundant with many different artworks with many different styles too.

I have also included a small list of questions which will be used for me to find out the answers too in the near future.

This blog has opened up many reasons for me to want to go to the Vatican City again! I holiday'd to Europe about 2 years ago and I did visit the Vatican City and only briefly touched on the library there. Little did I know that it housed some great collections and art too!

I have found a comprehensive website that details art in the Vatican city; specifically the museums that surround the city as well as some of the art that is housed inside the Vatican Library itself.

The website is listed here: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

It is called "The Vatican Museums". They list the library on the website as part of a museum as they do function as both a museum and an archive; being that they show collections as they would do in a museum while also housing collections for people to read and enjoy as per a normal library. This is what makes the Vatican library unique. 

The Vatican library hold many exhibitions for many different items including art. The BAV website has a link that includes information on the current and past exhibitions as well as the art that was put on display in and around the library. http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php?pag=ufficio_mostre&ling=eng

I have found a few pictures that depict the Sistine Hall. The Sistine hall is a large hallway with the ceiling and walls painted in amazing detail. The hall is part of the library.

Here is one such picture

The Sistine Hall. There is an abundance of art to behold.

What is interesting to note is that the Vatican Library is actually not specifically noted as part of the Vatican Church; it is associated with the church however it stands on it's grounds, that is, it is not a religiously affiliated building. 

Questions I need to find the answers to:

1. Why is the Vatican Library not part of the Vatican Church? Aren't all buildings and everything in the Vatican City considered part of the church?

2. I have found information on the Pope's own private library. This isn't considered part of the Vatican Library. Why is this so?

3. A lot of art is moved around however there is no information listed exactly where the art is placed once moved. I want to know the extent of the art collection in the library and what happens when they take down certain pieces of art. Do they store them away?

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My research has largely been online to find out the current art that is situated within the Vatican City library. It has been a little bit hard as most information redirects to art in the museums surrounding the Vatican Library and not in the library itself.
I only recently found that the Sistine Hall was situated inside the Vatican City Library and not as a standalone building!

What is very interesting is that the Pope has his own private library! What it's contents are I do not know!

BAV website:
Vaticanlibrary.va (2012). BAV - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. [online] Available at: http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php[Accessed: 24th September 2012].

Vatican Museum website:
Mv.vatican.va (2012) Vatican Museums - Official web site. [online] Available at: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html [Accessed: 24 September 2012].

Periods of History of the Vatican City Library

Hello all!

This is my 3rd blog post! 
This week I have been focusing on the time periods of the Vatican City Library and what this meant and the changes that took place.  I have also included a list of questions I want answered that have popped up since researching the history of these time periods.

There are 5 distinct periods the Vatican City Library has met; they are listed on this website here:

http://theborgias.wetpaint.com/page/The+Vatican+Library

They are:

Pre-lateran= initial days of the library with the earliest days of the Church

Lateran= Until the 13th century with the reign of Pope Boniface VII

Avignon= Growth in book collection, the Papacy returning to Rome, collections and records were from popes in residence in southern France in Avignon.

Pre-Vatican= 1370-1446 the Library is scattered, parts in Rome and France

Vatican= 1446 onwards - Library places new collection and home.

I have a few questions I want answered through my research in these time periods.

1. What is the importance and impact of Pope Boniface VII for him to have an entire time period during his reign? (Lateran) What was his contribution to the Vatican Library?

2. Why do they call it the Vatican Library when it wasn't based in the Vatican in the first place until the Vatican time period? Are these based on the collections that were moved to and fro from different locations? (Avignon, Rome)

3. What is the significance of Avignon?

4. Are there any estimated dates for the Pre Lateran, Lateran and Avignon time periods?

5. What was the Library called when it wasn't the Vatican collection?

I am researching these questions as we speak; the internet is a nice treasure trove however I believe that certain books and their sources will be an easier navigated way of finding this specific information.

With this research, I also intend to lay out and define the terms of these distinct time periods. That is:

1. Why are they called these periods?
2. Who were the people who set these special dates and time frames in the first place?
3. Are there any discrepancies or arguments over these periods/can we call it an official part of history?
4. Where was the evidence collected from to suggest these 5 different time periods.

I have included a video which highlights my next blog post of the advancement and future of the Vatican City. It highlights the implications of it's new Art museums and exhibitions and it's new project for Internet mainstream awareness under the headline "The Vatican Library Project: Accessible Worldwide".

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This has been the toughest of my research thus far this week. Books and sources as well as the internet are scarce on information findings of the distinct periods of the Vatican City Library. I had to find out on my own that these periods don't list the Vatican Library itself at some points, but rather it's collections that were housed only until the Vatican Era! The library moved places before settling in at the Vatican City at the last distinct time period!

The questions I have listed here will be answered. For now, I have been pouring over the website I listed in search of answers. I will be heading to my local library and then the Melbourne City Library for any answers to my questions, especially about who the Pope Boniface VII was as he sounds very interesting!

Sources:

Video
Marshad, N. (2010) The Vatican Library Project: Accessible Worldwide. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYvLhD8YHL0&feature=player_embedded [Accessed: 18 September 2012]. 


Website for 5 eras/time period information
Theborgias.wetpaint.com (1990) The Vatican Library - The Borgias Fan Wiki. [online] Available at: http://theborgias.wetpaint.com/page/The+Vatican+Library [Accessed: 18 September 2012].

Inception of the Vatican Library

Hello! This is my second blog post on the Vatican City Library.

All has been well! This week I've been focusing on the building and inception of the library itself. I have also included the rebuilding of the Vatican City library as it is a major milestone in it's past (and near present) history.

I have been using the website:

http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php?pag=dipartimento_stampati&ling=eng

as a chief source of findings for the history. It is somewhat an "official" website to it's collections. In particular the "About" section may be brief but it also has the most up to date and correct information on the introduction of the Vatican Library.

There is only supporting evidence to suggest a type of library system began somewhere in the early part of the Roman Empire.

"From the fourth century onwards there is evidence of the Scrinium of the Roman Church, which was both a library and an archive." 

Vaticanlibrary.va (2012). BAV - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. [online] Available at: http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php[Accessed: 9 August 2012].

As it suggests, it wasn't quite a library, but a place of historical documents.
Hard research however (which is also agreed upon by most critics and historians) have concluded that the coming of the library itself at the Vatican in it's proper state began in the 14th century, that is, the Renaissance period.

"The Vatican Library began during the Renaissance... . In the 14th century, the seat of papal rule had been moved from Rome to Avignon, in southern France, but by the late 14th century the authority of the papal government was re-established in Rome and became the papal states. It was soon after this that Pope Nicholas V (1447-55) set out to build a new Rome. His plan to build extensive public works to provide both physical defences for the Church and to lure pilgrims and scholars began a transformation of the city."

Capping.slis.ualberta.ca (2005) History of the Vatican Library. [online] Available at: http://capping.slis.ualberta.ca/cap05/debbie/history.html [Accessed: 9 Sep 2012].  

With research from Wikipedia, the rebuilding of the library began on July 2007 in which it was closed of to the public, and reopened on September 2010. There was a number of fixes, rebuilding and refurbishment to the library.

En.wikipedia.org (2007) Vatican Library - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Library [Accessed: 9 Sep 2012].  

I have also found a series of pictures that show the refurbishment of the library, specifically, the "Reader's Lifts" and the main part of the building. This is an example of the lift being re-done.

BAV - Vatican Library (2009) Elevators (beginning of works). [image online] Available at: http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php?pag=fotogallery_art_00004&ling=eng [Accessed: 9 September 2012].

As part of my plan, I wished to find information on the history of the owners of the library since it began. I have found this information at the official Wikipedia article as well as the BAV site I have referenced before. They list all the head librarians from the first being Marcello Cervini to Jean Louis Brugues.

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Research for these findings involved me looking over the web and pouring over it's information. The information itself isn't hard to find once finding the right source, however finding the source in the first place proves difficult. Most books and texts I come across are outdated, especially when it comes to the actual inception and history of the Vatican City Library. There is no estimated date; it's a rough figure and new theories always pop up from time to time supporting new evidence and claims that even though the general census is that it started in the 14 century, evidence disproves this time and time again.
I like finding this kind of information. It puts a spin on what we perceive as already proven history, and what hasn't been properly explored and found information.

I'm learning how to blog, citing references, making a structured post. It's all very informative, fun and challenging all at the same time!

Sources:

Vatican Collections Online Website/4th century quote
Vaticanlibrary.va (2012). BAV - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. [online] Available at: http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php[Accessed: 9 August 2012].

Picture source
BAV - Vatican Library (2009) Elevators (beginning of works). [image online] Available at: http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php?pag=fotogallery_art_00004&ling=eng [Accessed: 9 September 2012].

History of the Vatican Library: Inception and Beginning quote.
Capping.slis.ualberta.ca (2005) History of the Vatican Library. [online] Available at: http://capping.slis.ualberta.ca/cap05/debbie/history.html [Accessed: 9 Sep 2012]. 

Wikipedia article containing list of cardinals/head librarians and refurbishment details
En.wikipedia.org (2007) Vatican Library - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Library [Accessed: 9 Sep 2012].