Massimo Listri. The World's Most Beautiful Libraries. 40th Ed.

Libraries have long been a source of knowledge, learning, and imagination, offering a sense of infinite possibility. Massimo Listri's new photographic journey explores some of the oldest and finest libraries, dating as far back as 766, including the papal collections of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Trinity College Library. Featured libraries include the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its horde of archival Inquisition documents, and the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its horde of archival Inquisition documents.

Format: Hardback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2023
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

Libraries have been a source of fascination and inspiration for centuries, from the majestic halls of ancient Alexandria to the ornate ceilings of the Morgan Library in New York. These repositories of knowledge, learning, and imagination offer an infinite realm of possibilities, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome holds the potential to reveal a provocative new idea, a distant fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world. In this captivating photographic journey, Massimo Listri takes us on a tour of some of the oldest and most renowned libraries around the globe. Through grand wooden doors, winding staircases, and elegant, shelf-lined corridors, he guides us through private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating back as far as 766. These medieval, classical, Baroque, Rococo, and 7th-century institutions hold some of the most precious records of human thought and deed, inscribed and printed in manuscripts, volumes, papyrus scrolls, and incunabula. Listri's poised images capture the unique atmosphere of each library, as well as their most prized holdings and design details. Featured libraries include the papal collections of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Trinity College Library, home to the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow. With meticulous descriptions accompanying each featured library, we delve into the astonishing holdings, highlighting key highlights, and also explore the often lively, turbulent, or controversial pasts of these institutions. From the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its hoard of archival Inquisition documents, to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., with its vast collection of American and international treasures, libraries have played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding of the world. They serve as both a bibliophile beauty pageant and an ode to knowledge, inspiring generations to explore, discover, and expand their horizons.

Weight: 1110g
Dimension: 217 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836593816
Edition number: Multilingual ed