Description |
323 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 31 cm |
Contents |
Preface / James H. Billington -- Vatican Library / Leonard E. Boyle -- List of Fondi with Abbreviations -- Vatican and Its Library / Anthony Grafton -- Popes and Humanism / James Hankins -- Ancient City Restored: Archaeology, Ecclesiastical History, and Egyptology / Anthony Grafton -- Recovery of the Exact Sciences of Antiquity: Mathematics, Astronomy, Geography / N.M. Swerdlow -- Life Sciences and Medicine in the Renaissance World / Nancy G. Siraisi -- Music and the Renaissance Papacy: The Papal Choir and the Fondo Cappella Sistina / Richard Sherr -- Eastern Churches and Western Scholarship / Alastair Hamilton -- Paper Obelisks: East Asia in the Vatican Vaults / Howard L. Goodman -- Manuscripts and Printed Books from the Vatican Library Listed by Fondi |
Summary |
"The Vatican Library contains the richest collection of western manuscripts and early printed books in the world, and its holdings have both reflected and helped to shape the intellectual development of Europe. One of the central institutions of Italian Renaissance culture, it has served since its origin in the mid-fifteenth century as a center of research for topics as diverse as the early history of the city of Rome and the structure of the universe." "This extraordinarily beautiful book which contains over 200 color illustrations, introduces the reader to the Vatican Library and examines in particular its development during the Renaissance. Distinguished scholars discuss the Library's holdings and the historical circumstances of its growth, presenting a fascinating cast of characters - popes, artists, collectors, scholars, and scientists - who influenced how the Library evolved. The authors examine subjects ranging from Renaissance humanism to Church relations with China and the Islamic world to the status of medicine and the life sciences in antiquity and during the Renaissance. Their essays are supported by a lavish display of maps, books, prints, and other examples of the Library's collection, including the Palatine Virgil (a fifth-century manuscript), a letter from King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, and an autographed poem by Petrarch." "The book serves as the catalog for a major exhibition at the Library of Congress that presents a selection of the Vatican Library's magnificent treasures."--BOOK JACKET. |
Note |
Catalog of an exhibition held at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Jan. 6-Apr. 30, 1993. |
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Includes index. |
Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-312) and index. |
Provenance |
In Memory of Laurie A. Chreitzberg. |
Subject |
Biblioteca apostolica vaticana -- Exhibitions.
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Biblioteca apostolica vaticana. |
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Renaissance -- Exhibitions.
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Renaissance. |
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Renaissance -- Italy -- Rome -- Exhibitions.
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Italy -- Rome. |
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Rome (Italy) -- Civilization -- Exhibitions.
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Genre/Form |
Exhibition catalogs.
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Exhibition catalogs.
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Added Author |
Grafton, Anthony.
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Library of Congress.
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Added Title |
Vatican Library and Renaissance culture |
ISBN |
0300054424 |
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9780300054422 |
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