LIBRARY

The Civitella library is housed both on the attic floor of the castle, the ‘Library Annex,’ and in the castle’s ‘Armory’ on the piano nobile. The collection comprises over 10,000 volumes, including the work of current and former Fellows and Director’s Guests in the areas of literature, visual arts, and music, CD’s and scores, reference materials for current Fellow and Guest projects, books on Italian art and culture, background information for field trips, and recreational reading, listening, and viewing materials. 

The Civitella Ranieri Foundation Library acquires, provides access to, and preserves materials concerning the three disciplines of the Foundation’s program: visual arts, music, and writing. The primary mission of the Library is to represent the work of current and past Fellows and provide reference for projects done during residency. The Library is used by both Fellows and staff for reading, listening, and viewing.

 

History and Collection

The Library collection started with the first residency in 1994 and has grown considerably in recent years. Thanks to numerous donations from Fellows, Director’s Guests, and Friends the collection includes over 7,000 monographs in over 30 languages. Its holdings include works of literature, visual arts, art history, and music scores. The collection provides reference for field trips, recreational listening and viewing, and resources on Italian culture. Additionally, the Library has a growing number of arts and exhibition catalogs relating to the work of past residents and contemporary Italian art.

The Library collection started with the first residency in 1994 and has grown considerably in recent years. Thanks to numerous donations from Fellows, Director’s Guests, and Friends the collection includes over 7,000 monographs in over 30 languages. Its holdings include works of literature, visual arts, art history, and music scores. The collection provides reference for field trips, recreational listening and viewing, and resources on Italian culture. Additionally, the Library has a growing number of arts and exhibition catalogs relating to the work of past residents and contemporary Italian art.

Mark strand Donation

We were the recipients of a major bequest from the late US poet laureate Mark Strand’s personal library, which has significantly strengthened our collection in the fields of poetry, literature, and criticism.

Collection Development

The Library collects works of merit that support the activities of the foundation. It is primarily an artist’s library, meant to inspire residents and provide them with informative resources during their stay at the Castle. We actively collect the work of Fellows and Director’s Guests and encourage them to send us their literary and art publications, music CD’s, and scores.

Library Information

The Library is available for use by Fellows and Director’s Guests in residence at the Center. The collection is organized in open stacks, and readers are asked to sign out materials and return them by the end of their stay. Library holdings can be viewed through our online catalog on LibraryThing.com.

The Library provides wireless internet access in the Armory and sitting areas. There are two computers available for use, and printers are located at three stations throughout the castle. If residents wish to make photocopies or buy paper, they can do so in the office. The Library is open for residents 24 hours per day.

Regional Libraries

Casa Museo di Palazzo Sorbello Library

Biblioteca Augusta di Perugia

Biblioteca Sandro Penna

Vatican Library

Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Vittorio Emanuele II di Roma (BNCR)

Biblioteca Hertziana

ACNP – Catalogo Italiano dei Periodici

Biblioteca di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte (Palazzo Venezia)

“Having done a few residencies, [the library] is definitely the most extensive, poetry-heavy, am-I-in-Beauty-and-the-Beast-ambient place. I love work of all the Civitella poets before me so it was great to have all their books in one place and not have to haul books overseas.“

Hannah Sanghee Park (Director's Guest 2013)

Gallery

The gallery is a shared communal space for lectures, small concerts, presentations, and exhibitions. The gallery is available for Fellows’ use. Its door open onto the loggia, restored in 2012, and to the Secret Garden. 

Throughout the season there could be any number of presentations or exhibitions held in the gallery. 

“Civitella was magical: beautiful, tranquil, a place unlike any other. It was one of those rarest of opportunities to turn inward, to be in an undisturbed state in which the intellect and imagination are unfettered. And when that freedom (it is the case that freedom can overwhelm) threatened to send me hurtling off into the furthest reaches of myself- from which it can be difficult to return – there was dinner every night. A time in which to come back to earth, so to speak and commune with others who are on similar journeys. All in all, an incredible experience. “

Ayana Mathis (Fellow 2017)