The Vatican Library

The history of the Vatican Library began when the Pope Silvester I (314- 335) settled in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, thanks to the Edict of Constantine in 313. The Basilica was built by Constantine himself and by the half of that century was set in it a scrinum sanctum, that is a collection of books which was at the same time a library for the booksellers and an archive for documents. This book mainly deals with the location of the popes' library, but it also presents the history of the library building from its beginnings. Between 1587 and 1589 Pope Sixtus V built the Salone Sistino in the Vatican Apostolic Palace nearby St. Peter, which became the new location of the library. This place is one of the gems of Vatican City, since it contains frescos representing the history of Councils and the Charter for the Codices and for print. In 2012 this architectural and decorative wonder will reopen as a reference collection space, although it still won't be accessible to the Museum's visitors and tourists.