Pope Nicholas V and the Origins of the Vatican Library

Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) was born Thomas Parentucelli on November 15th, 1397 in Liguria, Italy. He was the son of a doctor, and studied theology for a brief time at the University of Bologna before he was forced to quit due to financial difficulties and find work as a private instructor to the children of Florentine noblity. He eventually completed his studies and went to work for Cardinal Albergati in Rome. He rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church hierarchy fairly rapidly, and was elected pope in 1447.

Nicholas V is generally credited with the creation of the Vatican Library, although Sixtus IV, better known as the pope who built the Sistine Chapel, was primarily responsible for its expansion in the early years (and, some say, its true founder: see the Introduction by Father Boyle to the Library of Congress Vatican Exhibit). Although a number of holdings predate the papacy of Nicholas V, his humanistic leanings and his enthusiasm for literature and art were part of his vision for what the Vatican Library should be: A reflection of the court-like atmosphere of the Vatican. As a result,the papal library is one of the most beautiful as well as one of the largest libraries in the world.

Although it contains many theological texts, the Library is replete with secular Greek and Latin manuscripts of Homer's and Virgil's works and original texts by Petrarch and Galileo. The holdings include over 2 million books, incunabula (books produced before the advent of the printing press), manuscripts, prints, engravings, coins and medals, and objects d'art. The Secret Archives contain greater than 60,000 volumes of administrative documents, manuscripts and registers.

Graphic courtesy of the Library of Congress Exhibit

The following links provide additional information on Nicholas V, Sixtus IV, and the Vatican Library Collection:

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Biography of Nicholas V

Biography of Sixtus IV

Chronology of the Vatican Library

Rome Reborn: The Vatican Library & Renaissance Culture

The University of Glasgow (founded by Nicholas V)

The Vatican Archives

This page was created by Lee Gunter

Updated 2 March 2000