The Lancisian Library is a historical-specialist treasure chest of book heritage in Rome, famous for its architecture, precious collection and history related to medical sciences. Not everyone knows about it, which is why we want to tell you about this cultural place in the city.
The first thing to say is that it can be visited by reservation and the visit is free. Although this library is not large in size, it is worth discovering! Founded and opened in 1714, it bears the name of Giovanni Maria Lancisi, distinguished physician and papal archiater of Innocent XI and Clement XI.
The reading room, furnished with cabinets designed by architect Tommaso Mattei, features a valuable 18th-century fresco attributed to Gregorio Guglielmi on the vault and preserves two globes – terracqueous and celestial – from the 17th century made by Vincenzo Maria Coronelli. Behind a flap hidden in the shelving is a secret window overlooking the Sistine Lanes, used by the hospital’s Commendatories to observe the service staff.
The library holds about 20,000 volumes including incunabula (about 60), cinquecentine (about 1,600) and editions from the 17th to 19th centuries, as well as manuscripts from the 14th to 19th centuries. Among the most notable pieces are the illuminated codex “Liber Fraternitatis Sanctis Spiritus in Saxia de Urbe,” containing thousands of autograph signatures of popes, kings, nobles and benefactors of the Hospitaller Confraternity of the Holy Spirit, and Avicenna’s 13th-century Codex.
Specializing in the history of medicine and science, the Lancisian Library is an integral part of the National Library System and the Lazio Regional Library Organization. After a major restoration completed in 2021, funded by the Lazio Region, its rooms are once again accessible to the public. A memorandum of understanding with ASL Roma 1 for the digitization of its bibliographic heritage was initiated in 2023.
The facility also houses the multimedia project “Memories of a Librarian,” an audiovisual and interactive installation in Italian, English and Italian Sign Language, in which a hologram narrates the history of the library.
Useful information about the Lancisian Library
- Address: Borgo Santo Spirito, 3 – 00193 Rome.
- Access: by appointment only for study or guided tours, according to established regulations and hours; food, drink and animals (except guide dogs) are prohibited.
- Main hours: consultation on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings; guided tours on Monday and Wednesday by appointment.
- Contact information: lancisiana@aslroma1.it
The Library does not lend; offers reference services, bibliographical information, reproductions of iconographic and bibliographical materials, and guided tours.