The Biblioteca Centrale Scalabrini (Scalabrini Central Library) is located inside of the historical monastery structured on two cloisters, the oldest one was built during the XVII century.
Location
The building is the Casa Madre dei Missionari di San Carlo, titled in this way because it was built by the will of the bishop of Piacenza Beato Giovanni Battista Scalabrini (1887-1905) who was migrants father too, in order to hosting the congregation which today is titled to his name.
Library (Biblioteca centrale Scalabrini)
Guardian of the memories of its founder and the Scalabrinian family, the Casa Madre became during the time a place of study and a collection of historical information about its Congregation.
In addition, it represents the spiritual focus for all the missionaries spread all over the world; to which refer for the permanent training activities.
The Library was built at the same time of the Casa Madre, namely for many years all the different kind of schools were there.
The teachers started to collect studies and literary works, not only school books; these objects started to fill the newborn library together with many different donations from priests, teachers from the diocesan seminary, to whom we owe the presence of some precious and old books.
Donations and purchases
During the years the Library received some more donations from the removal of some school classes from Scalabrinian sites and from the buying of some complete personal libraries (the most precious one was the one of Erminio Viganò, composed of eight closets, inherited by the cardinal Rampolla) and some more volumes directly received from the Editors.
Currently the Library has about 90.000 volumes, more than 300 volumes form the XVI century and 6 manuscripts. All of them are included in an electronic catalog. It’s actually partially published on the website of the CSER(Center Studies Emigration in Rome).
It’s taking up two entire sides of the first floor of the first cloister. The other empty side hosts the painting collection, with more then fifty pieces.
