Magliabechiano
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
National Central Library of Florence
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Piazza dei Cavalleggeri 1, 50122 Florence
Contact information: phone number
0039 055249191 (central)
0039 0552491996-97 (information)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
bnc-fi@beniculturali.it
Reference number
Magliabechiano
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Magliabechiano
Title (official language of the state)
Magliabechiano
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze
Date note
Predominantly 17th century/18th century
Language(s)
ita
lat
Extent
c. 6,000 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Magliabechiano is the oldest collection of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze and comprises manuscripts of different provenances, typologies and thematics. It covers a wide range of areas such as Religion, Science, Literature, Philosophy, among others.
The collection also comprises personal papers of Antonio Magliabechi, including his correspondence. Among these papers, there are letters that Magliabechi exchanged with the Sephardic scholar and bibliophile Joseph Attias (1672–1739) (Magliabechiano, VIII-SIII-T.22). These letters were reproduced by Fabrizio Mascagni in his PhD thesis (1976-77).
The collection also comprises personal papers of Antonio Magliabechi, including his correspondence. Among these papers, there are letters that Magliabechi exchanged with the Sephardic scholar and bibliophile Joseph Attias (1672–1739) (Magliabechiano, VIII-SIII-T.22). These letters were reproduced by Fabrizio Mascagni in his PhD thesis (1976-77).
Archival history
This collection owes its name and origins to the legacy of Antonio Magliabechi (1633-1714), the librarian of Prince Francesco Maria and Cardinal Leopoldo. During his lifetime, Magliabechi formed a personal library composed of about 30,000 volumes, which he bequeathed to the city of Florence in his will. This collection gave rise to the Biblioteca Magliabechiana, the predecessor of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze. Later, it increased with subsequent acquisitions and donations, including the legacy of Anton Francesco Marmi (1665-1736) and the donation of a large part of the Strozziana library in 1786, as well as the incorporation of volumes from extinct convents, monasteries and religious colleges, in particular those belonging to the Jesuit College of San Giovannino. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the collection also suffered losses, and some manuscripts were incorporated in other fonds, such as the Fondo Nazionale and the Banco Rari.
Therefore, the Magliabechiano collection was constantly subject to changes. However, the major one occurred in the 20th century. The Magliabechiano was one of the most affected collections by the flood of the Arno River in November 1966. Most of its volumes were seriously damaged. Of the 52,583 flooded volumes, more than half were restored, but 4,172 are still missing.
The first catalogue of the Biblioteca Magliabechiana was drawn up shortly after the opening of the library in 1747. It was composed by Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, the Magliabechiana's librarian at the time, who organised the collection into classes. In the 1860s, Giunio Carbone wrote a new catalogue of the Biblioteca Nazionale's manuscripts, including the Magliabechiano codices. A "Tavola di Concordanza", i.e. a comparative table between the old and current signatures of the collection's codices is available for consultation on the Biblioteca Nazionale website.
Therefore, the Magliabechiano collection was constantly subject to changes. However, the major one occurred in the 20th century. The Magliabechiano was one of the most affected collections by the flood of the Arno River in November 1966. Most of its volumes were seriously damaged. Of the 52,583 flooded volumes, more than half were restored, but 4,172 are still missing.
The first catalogue of the Biblioteca Magliabechiana was drawn up shortly after the opening of the library in 1747. It was composed by Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, the Magliabechiana's librarian at the time, who organised the collection into classes. In the 1860s, Giunio Carbone wrote a new catalogue of the Biblioteca Nazionale's manuscripts, including the Magliabechiano codices. A "Tavola di Concordanza", i.e. a comparative table between the old and current signatures of the collection's codices is available for consultation on the Biblioteca Nazionale website.
Administrative / Biographical history
The origins of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze date back to Antonio Magliabechi's will, in May 1714, in which he bequeathed his impressive book collection to the city of Florence, under the condition of establishing a public library. Despite this stipulation, the library took a long time to open.
In 1736, Grand Duke Gian Gastone issued three laws regarding the Magliabechiana library. In the first of these laws, he appointed the Magistrato Supremo to take possession of both the Magliabechi's library and the legacy of Anton Francesco Marmi, the executor of Magliabechi's will and also a book collector. The law also assigned the task of drawing up the inventory of the volumes to the doctor and bibliographer Antonio Cocchi. The other two laws appointed Marquis Carlo Rinuccini as the library's superintendent and Lorenzo Comparini as the librarian.
However, the library only opened on January 3, 1747, in an old theatre adjacent to the Uffizi, which was restored and adapted by Giovan Battista Foggini and decorated with Rinaldo Botti's frescos. In the meanwhile, Giovanni Targioni Tozzeti had been appointed librarian, and thus he headed the institution for the following 46 years. The collection was then organised and divided into classes, and Targioni Tozzetti compiled catalogues of both printed books and manuscripts.
In 1771, Pietro Leopoldo decided to unite the Biblioteca Mediceo Palatina Loratingia with the Magliabechiana. As a result of this decision, 11,942 printed works and 588 manuscripts of the Mediceo Palatina Loratingia arrived at the Uffizi.
After the suppression of the Society of Jesus, the Magliabechiana was able to select and collect volumes from the College of San Giovannino. A part of these Jesuit manuscripts is currently incorporated into the Magliabechiano fonds. The suppression of all female and male convents and monasteries in 1808, during the French occupation, also resulted in the arrival of new volumes to the library, which are currently gathered in the Fondo Conventi Soppressi.
In 1861, the new Palatina Library, that grand dukes Ferdinand III and Leopold II had collected in the exile during the Napoleonic domination, joined the Magliabechiana. However, their collections were never merged. They were arranged in different places and kept their own signatures and separate catalogues.
When Florence was the capital of the unified kingdom of Italy (1865-1871), the library suffered significant changes. Since 1870, it became the Italian library deposit, receiving copies of all works printed in Italy. Together with the incorporation of the Palatina, this decision contributed to the collection's growth and to the increasing need for new facilities. In the early 20th century, the endeavours to obtain a new building for the library gained force. The library already had the title of Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale since 1885. However, it was only in 1935 that its new headquarters opened in a building designed by Cesare Bazzani, in the quarter of Santa Croce.
After the Second World War, the Biblioteca Nazionale became the Agenzia bibliografica nazionale (National Bibliographic Agency). In 1958, it headed the draft of the new Bibliografia nazionale italiana (Italian National Bibliography), following the Dewey Classification.
In 1966, a disaster struck the Biblioteca Nazionale. The flood of the Arno River on November 4 damaged nearly one third of the library's holdings, in particular the Magliabechiano, Palatini and Miscellanee collections. The endeavours of the director, Emanuele Casamassina, the international aid, and the efforts of a large group of volunteers contributed to reducing the impact of the catastrophe. It was then established a laboratory in order to repair the damaged volumes, the Centro di restauro del libro, which succeded in saving a significant part of the flooded fonds.
In 1736, Grand Duke Gian Gastone issued three laws regarding the Magliabechiana library. In the first of these laws, he appointed the Magistrato Supremo to take possession of both the Magliabechi's library and the legacy of Anton Francesco Marmi, the executor of Magliabechi's will and also a book collector. The law also assigned the task of drawing up the inventory of the volumes to the doctor and bibliographer Antonio Cocchi. The other two laws appointed Marquis Carlo Rinuccini as the library's superintendent and Lorenzo Comparini as the librarian.
However, the library only opened on January 3, 1747, in an old theatre adjacent to the Uffizi, which was restored and adapted by Giovan Battista Foggini and decorated with Rinaldo Botti's frescos. In the meanwhile, Giovanni Targioni Tozzeti had been appointed librarian, and thus he headed the institution for the following 46 years. The collection was then organised and divided into classes, and Targioni Tozzetti compiled catalogues of both printed books and manuscripts.
In 1771, Pietro Leopoldo decided to unite the Biblioteca Mediceo Palatina Loratingia with the Magliabechiana. As a result of this decision, 11,942 printed works and 588 manuscripts of the Mediceo Palatina Loratingia arrived at the Uffizi.
After the suppression of the Society of Jesus, the Magliabechiana was able to select and collect volumes from the College of San Giovannino. A part of these Jesuit manuscripts is currently incorporated into the Magliabechiano fonds. The suppression of all female and male convents and monasteries in 1808, during the French occupation, also resulted in the arrival of new volumes to the library, which are currently gathered in the Fondo Conventi Soppressi.
In 1861, the new Palatina Library, that grand dukes Ferdinand III and Leopold II had collected in the exile during the Napoleonic domination, joined the Magliabechiana. However, their collections were never merged. They were arranged in different places and kept their own signatures and separate catalogues.
When Florence was the capital of the unified kingdom of Italy (1865-1871), the library suffered significant changes. Since 1870, it became the Italian library deposit, receiving copies of all works printed in Italy. Together with the incorporation of the Palatina, this decision contributed to the collection's growth and to the increasing need for new facilities. In the early 20th century, the endeavours to obtain a new building for the library gained force. The library already had the title of Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale since 1885. However, it was only in 1935 that its new headquarters opened in a building designed by Cesare Bazzani, in the quarter of Santa Croce.
After the Second World War, the Biblioteca Nazionale became the Agenzia bibliografica nazionale (National Bibliographic Agency). In 1958, it headed the draft of the new Bibliografia nazionale italiana (Italian National Bibliography), following the Dewey Classification.
In 1966, a disaster struck the Biblioteca Nazionale. The flood of the Arno River on November 4 damaged nearly one third of the library's holdings, in particular the Magliabechiano, Palatini and Miscellanee collections. The endeavours of the director, Emanuele Casamassina, the international aid, and the efforts of a large group of volunteers contributed to reducing the impact of the catastrophe. It was then established a laboratory in order to repair the damaged volumes, the Centro di restauro del libro, which succeded in saving a significant part of the flooded fonds.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is organised into 40 thematic classes. The codices are numbered sequentially.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the library:
Targioni Tozzetti, Giovanni. 18th century. "Catalogo generale dei manoscritti Magliabechiani". 11 vols. and 3 vols. with indexes and the inventory of Strozziani manuscripts (Sala Manoscritti e Rari, Cat. 45).
Fossi, Ferdinando. 1789. "Catalogo dei codici della Libreria Strozziana comprati dopo la morte di Alessandro Strozzi da S.A.R. Pietro Leopoldo granduca di Toscana, e passati alla Pubblica Libreria Magliabechiana (…)". 2 vols. (Sala Manoscritti e Rari, Cat. 45).
Carbone, Giunio. 1864. "Catalogo analitico dei manoscritti della Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze". It includes the analytical description of Magl. I.2, Magl. VIII.1061, Magl. VIII.1486-1508, Magl. IX.41, Magl. IX.50, Magl. IX.96, Magl. IX.122-125 and seven manuscripts transferred to the Fondo Nazionale (Sala Manoscritti e Rari, Cat. 52).
Published finding aids:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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