The
college library, organized as Temple of Knowledge,
contains almost all the works that constituted the humanistic culture of
the XVIII century. After being been shut for over forty years, was reopened to the public
only a few decades ago. Also this precious property exists for the will of the founder of the
college. When in 1767, by order of Ferdinand
III , the Jesuits were chased out of Sicily, while everyone was trying to
take possession of their State goods, to the Capizzi were given several
volumes confiscated from the Company libraries of Palermo, very
precious book property indeed, part of which is today kept into the
College library. The shelves, filled with over 21 thousand volumes, between scientific,
literary, philosophical and theological texts, offer precious editions of
very great interest that gives a clear testimony of the degree of culture
reached in the life of the college. Among the works of inestimable value is worth mentioning an
Aristotle of 1561,
a dictionary of Calepino typed in 1571
in the Manunzio's typography,
a splendid geographic atlas of 1692,
a treaty of astronomy of 1877,
a well preserved edition of the Canzoniere Of The Petrarca, dated 1527,
the most ancient work of the collection,
a divine comedy
printed in Venice in 1536
and
a considerable number of classical, Latin and Greek books who go
from Svetonio (1548), to Senofonte (1581), to Tacito (1608). Besides
a historical archive of inestimable value, unique in Bronte, the library of
the Capizzi College, contains over 20 thousand volumes. There are also many Latin and Greek classics from Svetonio, twelve
Caesars (1548) to works by Xenophont (1581), Tacitus, Velleious
Paterculus, Plutark, Valerious Maximum (1557), Plinius (1741) Lucretius
(1807), Ovidius (1806) and Sallustius (1813). In the photos a few precious editions of really great interest:
the splendid geographic atlas of 1692 ("The
Mercury guide or the Geographic Guide to all parts of the world", Printed in
Rome at the Peace, with engraving by Antonio Barbey),
an image of Sicily taken from the
atlas,
a volume of 1511 (" De Libertate ecclesiastical", by Joannis
Lupi)
a very ancient volume in eastern
tongue. The Library of the Real Capizzi College, besides a priceless historical
archive, holds over 21 thousand books
scientiphic, literary, philosophical and theological, with Greek, Latin,
Italian, English, Spanish, German and French texts. It is evident the high grade of culture reached in the centuries by the
College and the level of scholastic formation that was there furnished. In the shelves of the library is also preserved a copy of the "Teatro
Contemporaneo" (Contemporary theatre) of Luigi Capuana,
with autographic dedication of the writer (He had studied in the Capizzi
college having as professor, among others, father
Gesualdo De Luca):
«at the library of the college of Bronte as
little expiation of all my escapades of collegiate. Mineo, April 7th,
1872». |