Tucked beside Verona Cathedral, the Biblioteca Capitolare is a quiet counterpoint to the city’s better-trodden sights. Its documented history begins more than 1,500 years ago, and therefore it is recognised as the world’s oldest library still in operation.
The Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona grew out of the Scriptorium of Verona Cathedral. Here, canons copied texts onto parchment for the education of future priests.
A document signed by a copyist called Ursicino, dated 1 August 517, records the library’s activity at a time when books were painstakingly written by hand. The institution continued through looting, fires, wars and floods, preserving works across generations.
Petrarch and Dante Alighieri are named among its visitors. Dante lived in Verona and wrote part of the Comedy during his time in the city.
Medieval manuscripts, rare books and 70,000 volumes
The Biblioteca Capitolare’s museum route displays more than 1,200 manuscripts, covering theology, medicine, astronomy, botany and law.
Its broader holdings include more than 1,000 medieval manuscripts, thousands of parchments, rare editions dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and around 70,000 volumes in total.
Among the named works are Saint Augustine’s De Civitate Dei and, reportedly, the only copy in the world of Institutiones of Gaius.
What to see at the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona
The museum route takes visitors through displays of manuscripts and historical material. Illuminated manuscripts and other historic items feature in the library’s guided Passeggiata con il Prefetto.
The library also holds educational workshops, themed exhibitions and cultural meetings. Programme details and guided visits are scheduled monthly, with booking required for guided tours.
Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona tickets and opening times
The library is open to the public every day.
- Opening hours: 10 am–6 pm
- Full ticket: €7
- Free entry: children up to age 10, ICOM cardholders, Disability Card holders and certified companions of Disability Card holders
Guided visits are arranged month by month, and advance booking is compulsory.
Source: https://www.idealista.it/