|
was designed by Sansovino to house a great collection of texts & manuscripts bequeathed to the republic in 1468 by the Latin patriarch of Constantinople. Since then, the collection was enlarged by acquisitions from monastery libraries, & one copy of every book published by local printers, as required by law since 1603. Construction on 16 of the 21 arcaded bays began in 1537, & the other 5 bays were completed after Sansovino died in 1570. The library remained in its original building until 1811 when it was transferred to the Doge's Palace. In 1904 it was moved to the nearby Zecca (Mint), another Sansovino building. Then in 1924, the library moved back to its original site which now also includes the mint. Now a major research library, it holds one of the greatest classical texts collections in the world.
| 
Western Europe
view full-size
image -- 849 x 593)