Vatican Library: 500 years of global research access
Located within the Vatican, one of the world's smallest states, and home to thousands of works from many different cultures, the Vatican Apostolic Library recently opened its doors to members of the Foreign Press Association in Rome, including an Anadolu Agency correspondent covering Italy and the Vatican.
- Life
- Published Date: 01:58 | 26 July 2025
- Modified Date: 01:59 | 26 July 2025
Looking back at the history of the Catholic Church, it is seen that popes have made efforts to establish libraries and archives since the 4th century AD. However, by the 13th century, these collections had largely dispersed. Although popes at the time attempted to restore the archive and library, the relocation of the papacy outside Rome for a period led to the loss of many works.
The library, with a total shelf length of 50 kilometers, houses 80,000 manuscripts, 8,300 incunabula (books printed before 1501), 150,000 stamps and graphic works, 150,000 photographs, 2 million ancient and modern printed books, and over 300,000 coins and medals—making it a repository of significant cultural heritage.
Due to political and cultural relations developed throughout history, the library also includes materials related to Türkiye and the Ottoman Empire.