Fondazione Baruchello’s Library dates back to the late 19th century. Its oldest sections consist of the Camillo Manfroni and Mario Baruchello collections and include books, publications, and journals on the History of the Navy and the Colonies (1870–1940), the History of Medici Tuscany and the city of Livorno, as well as Economics and the History of the Fascist period in Italy.
Gianfranco Baruchello ensured the preservation of this part of the Library, enriching it with volumes on visual arts, psychoanalysis, philosophy, fiction, poetry, cinema, and politics. The Library currently holds approximately forty thousand volumes.
In addition to these sections, which are constantly being expanded and updated, the Library in its present state includes works on many other subjects. Among the most numerous are those concerning agriculture, animal husbandry, adventure, ethnology and anthropology, fables, natural sciences, social sciences, history, theatre, travel, and comics. The Library is therefore characterized by the juxtaposition of diverse fields of knowledge and disciplines. The volumes have accumulated over time in relation to the artistic research and interests of Gianfranco Baruchello.
Since 1998, the Library has increasingly specialized in the fields of art, art criticism, philosophy, and aesthetics, with volumes that trace the transformations of art in a global and transnational context. In addition to continuously expanding its holdings (through the acquisition of books, monographs, and journals), in recent years the Library has also been distinguished by the acquisition of collections of great historical significance: the Emilio Villa Collection (manuscripts, books owned by the poet, and highly significant unpublished works such as the Etymological Dictionary and the Mythological Dictionary), the Nanni Balestrini Collection (political history, poetry, journals), the Alberto Grifi Collection (underground culture and experimental cinema), and the Trulli Collection (contemporary art).
Part of the Library consists of the Archives of Gianfranco Baruchello, which include catalogues, manuscripts, documents and correspondence, photographs, films, and videos.
The Library has also hosted initiatives and projects related to reading, as well as the revival of historically significant journals or publications for debates or artists’ projects.
Opening Hours:
Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Opening periods follow the official calendar for public offices. The Library is closed in August for internal organizational purposes.
Access Requirements:
Access to the Library and the Archives Baruchello consultation room at the premises in Via di Santa Cornelia 695 is free of charge for Italian and foreign citizens aged sixteen and over. To access the services, users must present a valid photo ID and complete a membership application form. With the membership card, valid for one year and renewable, users will receive a copy of these regulations (see Annex A).
To consult the Library and Archives, users must complete and sign the consultation authorization form provided by the Fondazione Baruchello, which includes the Library Regulations. The form must indicate the user’s full name, contact details, affiliated institution (if any), research topic, and the archival collections and related units requested for consultation.