The Franciscan Library

The Library of the convent in Ittiri was originally located in San Pietro in Silki, Sassari, until 2012, and represents a treasure trove of priceless paper treasures. It is now inside a historical building, built between 1610 and 1707, that reminds us of the typical architecture of convents. Today we can still see the great arches that formed the cloister, while along the walls there are shelves with many books. The rooms are next to the church of Saint Francis that governs one of the parishes in Ittiri, the other parish is San Pietro in Vincoli. The library holds 80,000 volumes, among which there are 114 books from the 1500s, volumes from the 1600s and 1700s, but also many books from the 1800s and other more recent ones. There are about one hundred periodicals, many of which are complete starting from their first years and still in subscription. Inside we can find an incunabulum: the Confutatorium errorum contra claves ecclesie nuper editorum di Petrus de Ximenes de Prexano, dating back to 1478. Both the building and the book collection have been given in concession to the Association “Biblioteca San Francesco” for 99 years, of which the Town council and its representatives are a part. The collection, supervised by the Franciscan friar Francesco Sechi, is mainly about religious matters, but represents a precious testament of the history of the Church and of Sardinia. The building is known as one of the book keeping excellencies of the island. The library will be subject to a renovation project as part of the plan of Territorial Programming of the Union of Towns of the Coros region. The project has aims to enlarge the spaces, and dedicate areas to consulting and reading, and also to the use of modern forms of information that will contribute to the promotion and the socioeconomic development of the Coros and Anglona territories. In detail, the project plans to redevelop a portion of the ex-convent of Saint Francis that has become the new location of the Franciscan Library.

Source: lanuovasardegna.it, Facebook page Unione dei Comuni del Coro