Library

Deprived of the manuscripts and incunabula in its historic library by order of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo in 1778, the Opera del Duomo's current collection of books is not especially large but it is unquestionably of interest for anyone wishing to study the historical and artistic heritage of Santa Maria del Fiore and the baptistry of San Giovanni.

Until recently the library focused primarily on offering support to archive researchers, but it has now acquired an independence which has allowed it to expand its horizons and to turn towards the in-depth study of specific themes, naturally in the context of the Opera's unique institutional organisation.

It owns close to 4,000 books, including several printed in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a valuable collection of 19th and early 20th century works on the construction of the cathedral façade, the establishment of the museum and other aspects of the complex of monuments in the Opera's care.

When the library joined the Florence Area Integrated Documentation System (SDIAF) in 2007, it became part of a vast complex of public and private libraries and its books may now be found in the system's collective catalogue.