The Collection

The Vatican Library is one the world’s greatest repositories of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and incunabula, books printed before 1501. 15th Century sketches of now vanished Roman ruins, early maps and music manuscripts, even Greek and Roman coins and whimsical medieval caricatures can all be found in the collection. The manuscripts in the library also include the oldest known copy of the entire Bible (Codex Vaticanus B), the Galesian Sacrementary, a copy of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Commentary on the Sentences written in his own hand, early editions of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Martin Luther’s original letters and so on. [1]
[1] When in Rome: a journal of life in Vatican City/ Robert J. Hutchinson. Doubleday 1998.

Pope Paul V founded the Vatican Secret Archives in 1612. Though their primary purpose is as a repository for the Popes’ records and files, scholars are admitted by special permission for “this decanting of history” as one clerk puts it. Here is an abdication document of Queen Christina of Sweden, signed by her lords in 1654 and authenticated by 306 seals. A letter written in 1587 by Mary Queen of Scots says, “Today I have had a message… that I must prepare myself to receive death.” And a love letter sent in 1527 by Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn proclaims, “Henceforth my heart shall be dedicated to you alone…” The full and proper name for the institution is the Vatican Secret Archives. But names can be misleading. “Secret” originally meant ‘private’. Like the word ‘secretary’, it refers to privacy rather than something confidential. So the archives contain the popes’ private files, now open to scholars for all years up to the year 1920s.[2]

The infomation I found just for the collection was rich and varied. I didn't realise just how many artifacts the library has in its collection including the love letter written by Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately some of the documents (which I haven't mentioned in the post) such as a letter in Chinese from the Empress Helena to Pope Innocent X are not available to even renowed scholars and the Vatican has declared that no documents more than 75 years may be examinied.

[2] Inside the Vatican/ Bart McDowell and James L. Stanfield. National Geographic Society 1991.

[1] When in Rome: a journal of life in Vatican City/ Robert J. Hutchinson. Doubleday 1998.

[2] Inside the Vatican/ Bart McDowell and James L. Stanfield. National Geographic Society 1991.

Image courtesy of Eva's Favourite articles. Article about the closure of the Vatican Library for 3 years.