A research library documenting Italy’s modern era, housed since 1937 in Palazzo Mattei di Giove in Rome’s Sant’Angelo district.
At a glance
The Library of Modern and Contemporary History preserves collections spanning Italian history from the Risorgimento onward. Today it shares Palazzo Mattei di Giove with several cultural institutions under the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, including the Central Institute for Sound and Audiovisual Heritage and the Center for American Studies.
History
Library collections began forming in the late 19th century with the specific aim of documenting Italian national unification. This initiative led to the creation of the Risorgimento Section at the Vittorio Emanuele II National Library in Rome.
In the early 20th century, near the fiftieth anniversary of Italian unification, plans emerged for an autonomous institution dedicated to the Risorgimento. The National Committee for the History of the Risorgimento was established to expand holdings, and between 1921 and 1923 it became the Library Museum Archive of the Risorgimento.
In 1934, educational reformer Giovanni Gentile’s reorganization of historical institutes divided the collections. Museum assets went to the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento at the Vittoriano, while library materials and manuscripts were transferred to the Italian Historical Institute for the Modern and Contemporary Age. The library assumed its current name in 1937 and was installed in Palazzo Mattei di Giove.
Since 1974 the library has operated under successive cultural ministries, currently the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities as of 2018.
What you see
Palazzo Mattei di Giove, also known as Palazzo Antici Mattei, is a Renaissance palace in Rome’s Sant’Angelo district. The building now functions as a multi-institutional cultural center, housing research libraries, archives, and specialized institutes dedicated to preserving Italian and international heritage.
Cultural significance
The library represents a crucial institutional response to preserving Italy’s transition to nationhood. Its collections document the social, political, and cultural dimensions of Italian modernity. Today it serves scholars and researchers investigating 19th- and 20th-century Italian history and international studies through its diverse holdings and partner institutions.
Key facts
- Address: Via Michelangelo Caetani, 32, 00186 Roma
- Coordinates: 41.8939171, 12.4780903
- Phone: 06 682 8171
- Website: http://www.bsmc.it/index.php
Practical information
The library operates as a research institution; check the official website for visiting hours and access policies, which may require advance registration or appointment.
Getting there
The library is located in Rome’s Sant’Angelo district, near the Tiber River. You can reach Via Michelangelo Caetani via public transport or on foot from central Rome’s historic quarter.
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- 2020 Presentazione libro
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