Before I left Brescia this morning, I wanted to visit the Queriniana Library, right around the corner from my lodging. On the way, I met my host Angela’s mother, a woman of my age, and told her how much I liked Brescia and the lodging. “Yes,” she replied. “The bars and restaurants are nearby, everything’s convenient, and it’s quiet and peaceful. All that’s missing is a love relationship.” That’s a bad translation, but she said something related to amore. So Italian. I had to agree.
The Queriniana Library was founded in about 1746 by a bishop who donated his library to get the place started. When Napoleon closed down the religious institutions, many of their literary assets landed in this collection. Now it’s a public library belonging to the Province of Brescia, but it keeps a collection of illuminated manuscripts, ancient parchments and over 8,000 books from the 1500s.
Students use the facilities, surrounded by books over 600 years old. Notice the fans, a necessity in this intense heatwave.
