Library of the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia, Special library in central Rome, Italy
The Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia Library holds approximately 130,000 volumes and 900 journals dedicated to encyclopedias and linguistics. The collection spans a wide range of reference materials and scholarly resources in these subject areas.
The Institute was established in 1925 and received a major contribution from Giovanni Gentile in 1926 consisting of 18th and 19th-century encyclopedias. This early enrichment formed the foundation for one of its most important collections.
The Fondo Aldo Santi, acquired in 1926 through Giovanni Gentile, is a collection of 18th- and 19th-century encyclopedias and lexicons that belonged to the engineer Aldo Santi, an Italian puzzle-maker known as "Duca Borso". It marks the start of the library's encyclopedic collection, which traces the evolution of the encyclopedic form. The Fondo Bontempelli holds the personal library of novelist Massimo Bontempelli.
The library is centrally located and grants access through an online catalog system for researchers, scholars, and faculty members. Visitors should verify whether their qualifications meet the access requirements before visiting.
The collection was recently expanded with the Cinema Encyclopedia, adding foreign publications dedicated to film history. This section shows how the institution has diversified its holdings beyond its original focus.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,855 contributors worldwide.
