Click any of the links below for more information about the listed resource, including: contact information, resources offered, terms of access, reproduction services/policies, and closing dates. Please contact the webmaster regarding additions, corrections, or broken/invalid links. Please note that these links are provided for user information but do not constitute professional advice or a formal recommendation. See our Disclaimer for more information.
Archivio di Stato di Venezia
Campo dei Frari
San Polo, 3002 – 30125
Venezia
+39 041 5222281
Email
Website
Visiting Hours: The reading room is open Monday through Thursday from 8:10 – 17:50, and Friday and Saturday it is open from 8:10 – 13:50. Materials may be requested from Monday through Friday from 8:10 – 13:00. The reading room has a specialist available from 9:00 – 13:50. The specialist is available upon request between 8:10 – 9:00 and 13:50 – 17:50.
Resources Offered:
The library has over 71,000 titles including history (Veneto, religious, general), palaeography, and legal works. There is a special emphasis on archives pertaining to the history of the Venetian Republic from its fall through the 1880s.
Terms of Access:
Patrons must fill out an application and request access to the archives. Valid ID is required and patrons may not have a criminal record. Applicants must provide the topic and time period of their research and commit to donating a copy of their finished work (thesis, book, dissertation, etc.) to the library. Students must also present a letter from their professor.
Reproductions services/policies:
Scholars may request that certain items be photocopied or photographed in the photo reproduction department. The department takes requests Monday through Saturday from 9:30 – 12:30. For more information, refer to the Requests for Reproduction page. The materials that may be copied are limited, including works before 1800, parchment, maps above size A3. The full list can be found at the Photo Reproduction Limits page.
Closing Dates:
The library is closed in August — in 2011, the dates were the 8th through the 20th. It is also closed November 21.
Biblioteca del museo Correr
Piazza San Marco, 52, 30124
Venezia
+39 041 2405211
Website
Email
Visiting Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8.30 to 13.30, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon till 17. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Resources Offered:
The library has two study halls each with 40 seats. Scholars must receive their materials there, with the assistance of a librarian. However, scholars may request bibliographic information from the library via email, phone, fax, or post.
Terms of Access:
Access is limited to those who have a membership card or those who have a daily permit. Permits can be obtained via application. Applicants must have a valid ID and if they are graduate students, they must also have a letter detailing the student’s need to access the library’s materials. There are no limits to the number of materials a student may have at his/her reading area in the study halls.
Reproductions services/policies:
Reproduction via photocopies, microfilm or photographs is limited to the regulations prescribed by copyright laws and the library’s policies on preservation. Information about reproductions is available in the Guida ai Servizi della Biblioteca del Museo Correr, which can be found in the library’s entranceway. Readers must fill out and return an application to a librarian in order to take photographs. For more information, refer to the “Services” section of the library’s website.
Closing Dates: Closed Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (December 25 and January 1).
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
Piazzetta San Marco, n. 7
30124 Venezia
+39 041 2407211
Email
Website
Visiting Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 – 19:00; Saturday: 8:00 – 13:30. Note that the library has specific times that researchers may request and receive books. For the details, please see the library’s Hours page.
Resources Offered:
The library offers rare books, maps, and manuscripts on Venetian history, fine arts, and politics. For more information about the library’s collections, please refer to their website. Patrons may request up to 4 manuscripts at a time, and up to 6 modern (post-1851) books, while working with two items at a time. Requests can take up to 40 minutes to fill.
Terms of Access:
Patrons must be at least 18 years of age to access the library’s manuscripts and rare books. Permits are issued by day or annually, depending on the length of study. Valid ID is required, and students must present a letter of recommendation from their professor.
Reproductions services/policies:
Patrons may not reproduce works themselves. Applications are available and must be filled out to obtain copies. Certain items in the library’s collection are prohibited from being copied. In addition, copies may only be made during certain hours. These items are outlined here.
Closing Dates: January 1 and 6, Easter Monday, April 25, May 1, June 2, August 15, November 1 and 21, and December 8, 25, and 26.
Biblioteca San Francesco della Vigna
Castello 2786 – 30122
Venezia
041.5235341
Email
Website
Visiting Hours: Monday to Thursday from 9:00 – 12:30 and from 13:30 – 17:00; Friday from 9:00 – 12:30 and from 13:30 – 15:30.
Resources Offered:
The library dates back to at least the fifteenth century and has a collection strong in manuscripts and books dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. There is also a modern collection of about 80,000 works that focus on theological studies. The library’s collection is searchable online.
Terms of Access:
Patrons must sign the register at the front desk and leave all bags before entering the library.
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore
30124 Venezia
+39 041 2710255
Email
Website
Visiting Hours: Monday and Friday from 9:00 – 16:30; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 – 18:30. The Photo Library is open from 9:00 – 13:30 and from 14:00 – 16:00.
Resources Offered:
A resource for scholars in Venice, the Fondazione Giorgio Cini offers scholarships, scholarly housing, a research library, and an active program of exhibitions and public programs. The Foundation’s library has over 150,000 books dedicated to art history. Their collection is also strong in Venetian history, theater, opera, literature, and international relations between Venice and the Eastern world. The Fondazione also has a Photo Library that houses over 730,000 photographs, including 65,000 negatives. The photos are largely focused on Venice and Venetian history, but also include other regions and museums around Italy. Parts of the collection are available by consultation only, such as the photos from the Berenson Foundation. For more information, refer to the Photo Library page.
Terms of Access:
Patrons must register for access to the library. Bring an ID to the front desk.
Reproductions services/policies:
For information about reproduction of photographs from the Photo Library’s collections, please email or call + 39 041 2710278.
Foundation Querini Stampalia
Castello 5252 – 30122
Venezia
+39 041 2711411
Email
Website
Visiting Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 10:00 – 22:00; Sundays and holidays*, 10:00 – 19:00. Distribution hours are: Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 19:00 for rare materials; for modern materials, the distribution hours are: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 – 21:30 and 10:00 – 18:30 on Sunday.
* Holidays when the library is open are: January 6, June 2, November 1 and 21, and December 8, 24, 26, and 31.
Resources Offered:
The library has over 300,000 volumes spanning a wide range of topics. Their collection includes but is not limited to: 1,300 manuscripts, 1,600 volumes from the sixteenth century, 20,000 antique volumes, 20,000 brochures, and 4,000 periodicals.
Terms of Access:
Patrons must apply for a membership card. Valid ID is required. Membership can be requested can be requested 30 minutes after opening until 30 minutes before closing. The library has put together a guide for new patrons. It is available in Italian in PDF format for download here.
Reproductions services/policies:
Items that predate 1850 are not able to be photocopied. Photocopies are available for delivery via post or fax for a fee. Information about fees and the associated forms can be found here. Patrons may also photograph documents held by the library. More information can be found on the library’s photograph request form.
Closing Dates: January 1, Easter, Easter Monday, April 25, May 1 December 25.
News on the Rialto
An annual publication for scholars working on all aspects of Venetian Studies.
Website
Nuova Biblioteca Manoscritta
Nuova Biblioteca Manoscritta (housed at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia)
Castello 5252 – 30122
Venezia
+39 041 2711411
Email
Website
Resources Offered:
The Nuova Biblioteca Manoscritta is a cataloging project that has, thanks to its partnerships with several libraries, collected over 32,000 manuscripts dating from the twelfth to the twentieth centuries. Their collection is searchable online, and they have also begun to digitialize their manuscripts and some biographies, which are available online as well.
Back to Research & Resources page