Biblioteca della Sala del Dottorato dell'Università degli studi di Perugia, Perugia (I-PEdu)

The Biblioteca della Sala del Dottorato dell'Università degli studi di Perugia is the historic rare-book and special-collections library of the University of Perugia, known institutionally as the Fondo Antico. It is housed in the Sala del Dottorato of Palazzo Murena, the university's historic seat since 1810. The palace was originally a monastery of the Olivetan order, and the Sala del Dottorato corresponds to the monks' former library room, the Libraria. The collection is defined by the university as comprising ancient, rare and valuable library materials, together with special collections. In the library's own framing, "ancient, rare and valuable books and special collections" describes a broad typology of materials that includes, but is not limited to, the antiquarian book understood as a handcrafted artefact and conventionally defined chronologically as books printed with manual type composition up to 1830. Collections are considered "special" when they stand out for the particularity of their materials — for example photographs or archival documents — and for the specificity of their origin, being significant for the institution that preserves them, for the links between the characteristics of those collections, the person or persons, bodies or families that created them, and the core activities of the preserving institution: university teaching, scientific research and third mission. The library is presented through the Centro Servizi Bibliotecari (CSB) of the University of Perugia, whose portal lists its specialisations as knowledge and enhancement, conservation and restoration, and consultation, scientific advice and photoreproduction services. Practical information such as location, how to reach it, opening hours and access arrangements, catalogues and staff is published on the same portal. Responsibility for the Fondo Antico - Sala del Dottorato is attributed to Monica Fiore. As a heritage library rather than a commercial brand, the Biblioteca della Sala del Dottorato functions as a public-facing institutional service of a state university. Its "offer" is access to and stewardship of historic printed heritage: catalogued rare books, special collections, conservation and restoration work, and reading-room and reproduction services for scholars. Its identity is tied to the University of Perugia and to Palazzo Murena, and its public presence is the CSB web portal rather than a commercial product line.

The Biblioteca della Sala del Dottorato is rooted in the historic seat of the University of Perugia, Palazzo Murena, which has served as the university's historic seat since 1810. Before that, the palace was a monastery of the Olivetan order, and the room now known as the Sala del Dottorato was the monks' library, the Libraria. The university's rare-book and special-collections holdings — the Fondo Antico — are preserved in that space. The library's own account frames its collecting scope around "ancient, rare and valuable books and special collections." This is described as a broad typology of materials that includes, but is not limited to, the antiquarian book understood as a handcrafted artefact and conventionally defined chronologically as a book printed with manual type composition up to 1830. Alongside early printed books, the definition extends to collections considered "special" because of the particularity of their materials — photographs and archival documents are given as examples — and because of the specificity of their origin. Such special collections are understood as significant for the institution that preserves them, for the links between the characteristics of the collections, the person or persons, bodies or families that created them, and the core activities of the preserving institution. Those core activities are identified as university teaching, scientific research and third mission. In this way the Fondo Antico is not simply a store of old books but an institutional heritage resource tied to the university's teaching, research and public-engagement roles. In its current organisation, the library is presented through the Centro Servizi Bibliotecari (CSB) of the University of Perugia. The CSB portal publishes the library's specialisations — knowledge and enhancement; conservation and restoration; and consultation, scientific advice and photoreproduction services — together with practical information on location, how to reach it, opening hours and access arrangements, catalogues and staff. Responsibility for the Fondo Antico - Sala del Dottorato is attributed to Monica Fiore, and the portal page carries a last-modified date of 26 August 2026. The library is catalogued as an Italian institution in Perugia in Wikidata (Q124360791). Its history is therefore less a story of commercial expansion than of continuous custodianship: a monastic library room transformed into the rare-book and special-collections department of a modern state university, with services oriented to scholars, conservation and the university's third mission.

• 2026

  The CSB portal page for the Fondo Antico - Sala del Dottorato carries a last-modified date of 26 August 2026.

• 1810

  Palazzo Murena becomes the historic seat of the University of Perugia.

• The Sala del Dottorato, formerly the Olivetan monks' Libraria, serves as the room housing the university's rare-book and special-collections holdings.

• The Fondo Antico - Sala del Dottorato is presented through the Centro Servizi Bibliotecari (CSB) portal of the University of Perugia.

A university heritage library and special-collections service dedicated to the knowledge, enhancement, conservation and consultation of ancient, rare and valuable books.

• Fondo Antico (historic rare-book collection)

  The university's holdings of ancient, rare and valuable library materials, conventionally including books printed with manual type composition up to 1830.

• Special collections

  Collections distinguished by the particularity of their materials (for example photographs and archival documents) and by the specificity of their origin.

• Consultation, scientific advice and photoreproduction services

  Reader and scholarly services listed among the library's specialisations.

• Conservation and restoration

  Conservation and restoration work listed among the library's specialisations.

1. 1Fondo Antico - Sala del Dottorato - Centro Servizi Bibliotecaricsb.unipg.it
2. 2Wikidata: Biblioteca della Sala del Dottorato dell'Università degli studi di Perugia, Perugia (I-PEdu)wikidata.org