Image: Agostino Scilla, La vana speculazione disingannata dal senso, Naples, Andrea Colicchia, 1670 (Science and Technology Library, ANTICHI 03 00001)
This collection, which in total counts almost 500 volumes and over 400 pamphlets and extracts, was established thanks to the passion and foresight of geologist and paleontologist Piero Leonardi (1908-1998), who was called to fill the post of Geology Professor at the University of Ferrara in 1949.
The dates of publication of the documents in the collection span from the second half of the 17th century to the end of the 19th century.
Some of the oldest publications in the collections are La vana speculazione disingannata dal senso by Agostino Scilla (Naples, Andrea Colicchia, 1670), and De’ crostacei e degli altri marini corpi che si truovano su’ monti by Antonio Lazzaro Moro (Venice, Stefano Monti, 1740) , in which he also attempted to demonstrate the errors in some bizarre hypotheses on the origin of "pietre figurate", or fossils.
Publications from the 19th century make up the majority of the collection, and some of the most noteworthy are the Parisian edition (1834-1836) of Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles by Georges Cuvier and the essential work Die Dolomit-Riffe von Südtirol und Venetien by Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvar (Vienna, 1879).
The works in the collection specifically relating to Geology are located at the Science and Technology Library, in theEx-Ferrarese Agricultural Sugar Refinery, while the pieces of paleontological interest can be consulted in the Library of the "Piero Leonardi" Museum in the Paleontology Section, in Palazzo Turchi di Bagno.
To find out more
Renzo Ferri and Carmela Loriga, Department of Earth Sciences: ‘ancient collection’ library, in Towards a science museum: botanic gardens, museums and historical-scientific collections at the University of Ferrara, edited by Carmela Loriga, «Annals of the University of Ferrara», special volume, 2001, pp. 87-92.
Anna Bernabè, The historical library collection [at the Science and Technology Library], in Stories of books and palaces. Tours of the Unife libraries, edited by Cristina Baldi and Paola Iannucci, Ferrara, UnifePress, 2021, pp. 242-248.
The works in the collection that are of geological interest are kept at the Science and Technology Library.
The volumes that make up the collection are ineligible for external loans, but it is possible to consult them in the library, upon request, made by telephone (+39 0532 974897), email (biblioteca.scientificotecnologica@unife.it) or through the online catalogue.
The works in the collection that are of paleontological interest are kept at the Library of the "Piero Leonardi" Museum
The volumes that make up the collection are ineligible for external loans, but it is possible to consult them in the library, upon request, made by telephone (+39 0532 293744), email (biblioteca.leonardi@unife.it) or through the online catalogue.
Rules for consultation
Regulations for the activities and services of the University of Ferrara Libraries, art. 28
- The consultation of ancient or valuable documents must take place in a dedicated area, controlled by the library.
- Volumes that need restoring are excluded from consultation.
- Users can access only one document for consultation at a time, unless there is a proven need to compare it with other documents.
- Users must diligently comply with the following instructions:
- use the designated bookstands and other equipment in the room made available, in order to protect the documents;
- if the specialised staff consider it necessary, wear the cotton gloves provided;
- if the use of gloves is not considered necessary, handle the documents with clean, dry hands;
- bring only erasable pencils, note paper and a laptop without a case;
- do not make any mark or underline anything, even in pencil, on the documents;
- do not place writing paper or anything else on top of the documents;
- avoid putting pressure on the bindings in order not to damage them;
- do not trace any images (watermarks, drawings, miniatures, bindings);
- if needed, use only flexible tape measures and magnifying glasses;
- in the case of loose or miscellaneous papers, do not alter in any way the order of the documents;
- report any missing items, damages or discrepancies found in the documents consulted to the librarians as soon as possible.
- Users are responsible for the works they are consulting until the moment they are returned. If you are leaving the consultation area, even briefly, the document must be returned.
The part of the collection relating to paleontology is kept at the Library of the "Piero Leonardi" Museum
The part of the collection containing works on geology was transferred to the university's Technology Hub along with the rest of the Earth Sciences Department, and from 2010, the volumes were then entrusted to the Science and Technology Library.
In 2020, interventions for conservative restoration began on pieces from the collection kept at the Science and Technology Library. These interventions are always entrusted to qualified professional conservators, and carried out on the basis of projects authorised by the relevant regional authorities.
The collection is only partly catalogued in the SBN (National Library Service).
The cataloguing of the part of the collection located in the Science and Technology Library was carried out in 2017-2018 by university librarians, and also involved a detailed description of the pieces (handwritten notes, notes on ownership and ex-libris, binding, etc.) and the identification of owners and origin. These volumes are located in the ANTICHI section of the library where they are kept.
The volumes located in the Library of the "Piero Leonardi" Museum are found in the PALEO section.
With the Art Bonus, you can support projects for ancient book restoration at the University of Ferrara.
Exhibitions
Natura Naturata. Masterpieces in the libraries of the University of Ferrara (Ferrara, Chemistry and Biology Library of Santa Maria delle Grazie, 18 April - 1 May 2019). The exhibition is also online as part of the digital library Virtual Heritage Unife.
Pieces on display
Guided tours
28 October 2018 - Stories of books and palaces. Inauguration of the tour with the opening of the locations. The students from the 4th year of the "A. Roiti" Science-specialist High School in Ferrara, along with representatives from the University Library System and Museum System, guided visitors around the palaces of the university, libraries and historical collections.
Audiovisual
The historical collections. Science and Technology Library (length: 2 minutes and 43 seconds)
Video in Italian Sign Language (LIS) made thanks to collaboration from the Equal Opportunities and Disability Policy Coordination, the E-Learning and Multimedia Services Office and AIDUS (Association for the Inclusion of Hearing and Deaf People).
To recommend studies or research projects on the collection or pieces from it, please write to biblioteca.scientificotecnologica@unife.it.
