The Vatican's Precious Manuscripts Go Online

[Valin]

WSJ
Japanese Tech Firm NTT Is Scanning the Ancient Texts in the Vatican Apostolic Library
Liam Moloney
April 11, 2014

 

This copy of Homer's Iliad in ancient Greek and Latin dates from the 15th century.

 

VATICAN CITY — Almost 600 years after Pope Nicholas V founded the Vatican Apostolic Library, the Holy See is now turning to 50 experts, five scanners and a Japanese IT firm to digitize millions of pages from its priceless manuscripts, opening them to the broader public for the first time.

 

When the project is finished, one of the richest and most important collections of historical texts in the world will be available with a click of the mouse—and free.

 

The plan marks a revolution for an institution known as the Popes' Library, which houses more than 82,000 manuscripts, some dating back to the second century. Scholars must now submit a detailed request to gain access to the library, which sits within the Vatican walls. The most precious works of art, such as a 1,600-year old manuscript displaying Virgil's poems once studied by Raphael, have been mostly off-limits.

 

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By digitizing its archives, the Vatican library, established in 1451, joins the ranks of illustrious institutions such as the British Museum, Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Cambridge University Library. The Vatican is offering "a service that we provide all mankind," said Msgr. Cesare Pasini, prefect of the library, at a recent presentation of the project.

 

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