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When I was a student this was my library & it was the only one in Pistoia .forteguerriana.comune.pistoia.it

All the past generations have studied here surronded by these old shelves full of handmade old books & some of them also written by hands!

Founded in 1473 after the Cardinal Niccoló Forteguerri ‘s death who decided to leave his precious  private collection of books to a so called : “pia casa della sapienza “=  house of wisdom , so that  clerical people could enjoy it.

In 1696 Ferdinando II de’ Medici  – Grand duke of Tuscany – decided to  open it  to public as it is still nowadays.

There are more than 1000 manuscripts, 126 incunabula, 3000 trecentine & old English books of Shakespeare’s masterpieces & some new ones aboot local history .

In 2007 the biggest librery of Tuscany  opened in Pistoia – San Giorgio is its name – near the train station & so the Forteguerriana  library is now used  for consultation only.

I have been back there yesterday & after about 30 years many things are changed : the rooms I remembered sooo BIG are no more so big on my adults’ eyes! A lift was there thst wasn’t exist 30 years ago & I saw books I’ve never noticed before ….I wasn’t allowed to  visit another room where people were stuying… as I was used to do  in the past too!

The librarian  – who met me on the  stairs while I was trying to remember  through my nose vibrations my  old memories   of those days  passed there to study , sure! but also to look to the handsome older boys  in the other rooms ( they were attending to the University )  gave me a brochure as if I were a visitor, a foreign …..

How I wish  I could dared to tell her  : excuse me but I spent lot of time among these walls…I really don’t  need any information about this library as when I  was younger & my  mind   was full of dreams & hopes , I used to run on these stairs up & down as a cat !

You don’t  know me but these stairs, yes , I think they still do !😍😍😍
Nothing compared to the New York library or the Laurenziana in Florence  but for me it remains one if the most beautiful I’ve ever seen☺️💓🙃

Enjoy my photos !