Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Conservation library in Milan, Italy
The Biblioteca Ambrosiana features reading rooms with high ceilings, extensive wooden bookshelves, and marble columns spanning multiple floors in a Baroque structure.
Cardinal Federico Borromeo established this institution in 1602, sending representatives across Europe and the Middle East to collect manuscripts and books.
The library preserves 30,000 manuscripts in different languages, including texts from the Benedictine monastery of Bobbio and the collection of Vincenzo Pinelli.
Visitors can access the reading rooms and view the manuscript collections through scheduled appointments with the library's research department.
The library houses twelve Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts, including the Codex Atlanticus, containing his technical drawings and scientific observations.
Location: Milan
Inception: 1607
Founders: Federico Borromeo
Architects: Francesco Maria Richini, Fabio Mangone, Giacomo Moraglia
Architectural style: Italian Baroque architecture
Phone: +390280692
Email: info@ambrosiana.it
Website: http://ambrosiana.it
GPS coordinates: 45.46348,9.18579
Latest update: May 27, 2025 11:48
European historic libraries and bookshops preserve written heritage accumulated over centuries. From Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, founded in 1732 and still operating at the same location, to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, which has housed over 13 million works since 1602, these sites reflect the evolution and dissemination of books. Livraria Lello in Porto is notable for its curved wooden staircase and neo-Gothic woodwork from 1906, while Dominicanen Bookshop in Maastricht is housed in a converted 13th-century church. These spaces are distinguished by their architecture, from baroque to neo-Gothic, and by their function preserved across centuries. The Celsus Library in Izmir, built in 135 AD, used double walls to protect its 12,000 parchments from humidity. Hatchards in London has been operating since 1797 over five floors in Piccadilly, whereas Shakespeare and Company in Paris has maintained its English-language tradition since 1951 opposite Notre-Dame. These institutions offer visitors the chance to explore places where the history of the book is engraved in stone and wood.
Milan presents historical buildings, museums and squares. The Duomo displays Gothic architecture, while Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II houses retail stores. Teatro alla Scala stands as a notable opera house. Castello Sforzesco contains art collections. The city offers art galleries, parks, historical churches and modern architecture.
Milan offers photography locations for all skill levels. The selection includes Milan Cathedral, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Sforza Castle and modern structures like Bosco Verticale. Historic districts like Navigli and Brera present additional photo opportunities.
Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
25 m
San Sepolcro Church
46 m
Foro romano di Milano
24 m
Loggia degli Osii
180 m
San Sebastiano
142 m
Palazzo delle Poste
166 m
Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine
195 m
Casa Panigarola
187 m
Palazzo della Banca d'Italia
75 m
Zecca di Mediolanum
30 m
Casa Ferrario
112 m
Palazzo dell'Ambrosiana
10 m
Palazzo Castani
99 m
Palazzo del Banco di Roma
139 m
Santa Maria Beltrade Old Church
122 m
Casa dei Grifi
154 m
Casa dei Missaglia
93 m
Casa Vanoni
102 m
Palazzo Marietti
137 m
Monument to Federico Borromeo
54 m
Casa Buzzoni
134 m
Casa Giovini
92 m
Casa Crotti
51 m
Casa dell'Unione Cooperativa
143 m
Broletto well
192 m
Targa a Giuseppe Parini
181 m
Palazzo della Società lombarda per le Imprese Fondiarie
112 m
Palazzo della Posta centrale
127 mReviews
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