Gallipoli Public Library

The Gallipoli Public Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the Salento region, both in terms of its origins and the variety, dating, and rarity of its valuable volumes, as well as the unique origin of its building—the former Oratory of the Nobles from the 18th century.\n\nIn 1823, Canon and Dean Carmine Fontò, through a public act, donated his library, rich in about three thousand volumes, to the Ionian city, which had a cultural tradition spanning over a millennium. Another significant donation came from Bartolomeo Ravenna, whose private library consisted of historical, scientific, literary, and artistic works.\n\nIn 1987, part of this literary heritage was transferred to the current headquarters on Via S. Angelo from the Museum, where many other volumes remain preserved. Also housed in the S. Angelo location are all texts related to the history, culture, and economy of Gallipoli, incunabula, manuscripts, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century books inherited from the suppression of the monasteries of the Dominicans, Capuchins, and Reformists, and the collections of Ettore Vernole, Sebastiano Natali, and Giuseppe Duma.\n\nAmong the manuscripts, it is interesting to mention “La voce degli olii 1789 – 1821,” a paper manuscript containing documents and acts of the voice of oils, the “Libro Rosso di Gallipoli I,” comprising royal privileges granted to the city, and the “Libro Rosso II,” copies of royal diplomas and papal bulls in favor of Gallipoli. The Public Library is an important point of reference for understanding Salentine culture, as well as the home of an extensive library collection. It promotes numerous cultural initiatives: lecture series, book presentations, conferences, and exhibitions.