Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana

I love visiting these older libraries, I really enjoy the vintage antique look they have, I really enjoy reading and books. Many of these older libraries house some of the world’s greatest classical works. This library is absolutely beautiful, it has a very large collection of manuscripts and materials, it’s very well preserved and displayed. I really enjoyed my time here and if you’re into this kinda thing. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

The Marciana National Library, located in the center of Venice, Italy, is a historic institution known across the globe for its extensive collection of manuscripts, early printed books, and magnificent artwork. Its beginnings may be traced back to 1468, when Greek scholar and Cardinal Bessarion willingly donated his personal library to the Venetian Republic to protect it from the Ottoman Empire. Jacopo Sansovino, a prominent Renaissance architect, began work on the library's current structure in 1537. Completed in 1588, the edifice is a testimony to the architectural splendor of the time. The library's collection has increased dramatically throughout the ages, mainly to contributions from notable individuals, purchases, and the necessary deposit of a copy of every book written in Venice. Following the collapse of the Venetian Republic in 1811, the library was formally renamed the National Library. Sansovino created the façade, which has statues, columns, and exquisite brickwork. Inside, visitors are met by expansive corridors, quiet reading rooms, and art-filled galleries with stunning murals and exquisite ceilings. The Marciana National Library is more than just a book collection; it is a living witness to the transformative power of knowledge and a treasured cultural legacy.

It is a great pleasure to stand on the Piazzetta and observe this beautiful building, the Biblioteca Marciana. Its history and significance is extremely interesting, and its interior is breathtaking. The interior is beautifully decorated, and richly decorated with frescoes and paintings by artists like Tintoretto and Domenico Molin, its ceiling, featuring Titian’s allegorical painting, Sapienza, is widely considered the room’s most important decorative element. National Library of St. Mark is a library and Renaissance building, one of the oldest public libraries in the country and one of the largest collections of classical texts in the world. The library was named after St. Mark, patron saint of Venice. The Marciana Library stands as a symbol of the city’s wealth and its long tradition of civic investment in intellectual and artistic pursuits. The building’s construction began in 1537 and was completed over the next 50 years. The library, designed by Jacopo Sansovino, he is completed 16 of the façade’s 21 arcaded bays before his death in 1570. Eighteen years later, Vincenzo Scamozzi finished the structure according to Sansovino’s plans. Books for the library began to be collected even before the building was built. The nucleus of the collection was a donation of valuable Byzantine and Renaissance Serenissimi manuscripts collected by the scientist, patron and collector, Cardinal Bessarion, who donated his collection on May 31, 1468. It contained about 750 codices in Latin and Greek, with 250 manuscripts and some printed books (incunabula), it was the first public library open to scholars and students in Venice. The holdings of the Marciana Library were significantly enriched in the 18th century when collections were collected in several monasteries, such as Sts. Giovanni e Paolo from Venice and St. Giovanni di Verdara of Padua, handed over to Marciana for further safekeeping. With the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, the Marciana holdings were enriched by the entry of a large number of manuscripts and books from religious institutions (churches and monasteries) that had been banned and disbanded during Napoleon's rule. In 1811, the library was moved to the more spacious premises of the Doge's Palace. In 1904, the collection was moved to the building of Sansovinova Zecca, a mint (built in 1537-1547). The library has since returned to its original space, but has also expanded to parts of the neighboring Procuratie Nuova. Today, Marciana has about a million printed books, and about 13,000 manuscripts, 2,883 incunabula, and 24,055 works printed between 1500 and 1600.

You get access to this gorgeous reading room as well as Museo Correr and Museo Archeologico Nazionale when visiting Palazzo Ducale. We have unfortunately not been able to enter due to, I assume, renovation/maintenance. After some research I found that the attached photo is the room you should be able to see when visiting after 18th April 25.

A beautiful library in San Marco; the ambiance, lighting and setup of the library is perfect for studying, researching and working. With tables of 6 people each and lamps provided for personal use, plug points can be found directly under the tables, allowing for a longer time spent in the library. However, please do note that upon entering the library for the first time, one must register at the front desk with a valid ID to receive a library access card, and place all valuables to take into the library in a plastic bag provided. Furthermore, all other belongings must be placed in a locker, which is opened by inserting a one euro coin into the lock. Please note that only water can be brought into the library. A well-recommended and beautiful study spot! :)

They seemed willing to let me in until they realized I was a foreigner. Unclear if only those with a library card can enter (which is understandable) or if they are just prejudice against tourists

One thing is that most of the building is related to the Museu de Correr apart from the section of the library that is in use today. About its history itself, the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (Marciana Library) is a public library in Venice, Italy. It is one of the earliest surviving public libraries and repositories for manuscripts (about 13000) in Italy and holds one of the world's most significant collections of classical texts. The library's collection includes a copy of every book published in Venice before 1603. The library's reading room is decorated with portraits of famous scholars and writers, including Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Galileo Galilei. The library's bell tower is known as the Torre dell'Orologio, and it has a clock that chimes every hour. The library's courtyard is home to a statue of the Greek god Poseidon.

The building and library itself look beautiful, from the glimpse I could get. The messaging is very confusing though; the hours on the door say 'open to the public', but the reality seems to be that you have to have a library card/be a university student? When I looked into 'getting a free ticket' online it seemed to describe the process for getting a library card, but even translated I couldn't be sure of that much. If you feel the need to bar introverts like me from spending a blissful hour or two writing a letter in your beautiful reading rooms, then fine I guess, but please make it clearer that that is the case.

Be careful to visit this library museum, which was closed by the time I visited. There's no signs saying they'll be closed online or upon the booking with agents, and the only way to find out is walk in front of the door.