Libraries & Institutions

This library, founded by the first director of the Ostia excavations Dante Vaglieri (1907–1913), is specializing on ancient Ostia and related topics. It is open, upon reservation, on Thursdays. For further information and reservations, call 06 56358012 or write to pa-oant.biblioteca[at]cultura.gov.it.

Via dei Romagnoli 717, 00119 Ostia Antica (Rome)
tel. 06 56358012; 06 56358099.

This library, established in 1971 as a research library for the Soprintendenza officials, is specialized in publications on archival, diplomatic, historical, library science and local interest subjects. Primarily for internal use, it might be consulted upon request during opening hours. For further information, please consult the Soprintendenza archivistica e bibliografica del Lazio’s homepage.

Complesso monumentale di San Michele, Via del Porto, 13, 00153 Rome
tel. 06 67233716 and sab-laz[at]cultura.gov.it

This is the library of the Galleria Nazionale (founded in 1883), holding approximately 80,000 volumes, 1,500 periodicals, catalogs, and other material on modern art, with a particular focus on the Italian Novecento. The GNAM has also archives, with invaluable material: the Archivio dell’istituto (documents produced and issued by the GNAM), the Archivio bioiconografico (biographic material on more than 25,000 artists), and the Archivio fotografico e fototeca (material mainly on exhibitions at the GNAM). For further information about opening hours and access, please consult the GNAM’s website.

Via Gramsci, 81, 00197 Rome (entrance to the Biblioteca). The GNAM’s address is Viale delle belle arti, 131)
tel. 06 32298246 or gan-amc.biblioteca [at] beniculturali.it (gan-amc[dot]biblioteca[at]beniculturali[dot]it)

This library contains documents and data concerning the city of Rome (statistics, demography, history of the city and the quartieri, topography, else). For further information (e.g. access, opening hours, catalog, else) please consult the Comune's website.

Via della Greca, 5, 00186 Rome
tel. 06 6710 3322 or uffstat[at]comune.roma.it

The Polo Bibliotecario Parlamentare (the Joint Parliamentary Library) consists of the Biblioteca del Senato Giovanni Spadolini (the library of the Senate), and the Biblioteca della Camera Nilde Iotti (the Library of the Chamber of the Deputies), and holds a total of over 2 million books and other items, such as pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, archival and rare materials and more. The core consist of parliamentary papers and scholarly publications related to law, political sciences, history of political thought, economics, and history of journalism.

Biblioteca del Senato:
Piazza della Minerva, 38, 00186 Rome
tel. 06 67063717 or bibliotecaminerva[at]senato.it

Biblioteca della Camera:
Via del Seminario 76, 00186 Rome
tel. 06 6760 3476 or bib_segretaria[at]camera.it

During the German occupation of Rome, the headquarters of the German terror apparatus were located in Via Tasso 145/155. The building contained a prison in which Jews and political opponents were incarcerated and tortured. The Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma has been located in the building since 1957, part of which are a library and archives. For further information (e.g., opening hours, access, holdings), please consult the Museo's website.

Via Tasso, 145, 00185 Rome
tel. 06 7003866 or biblioteca[at]museoliberazione.it and archivio[at]museoliberazione.it.

The library of Castel Sant’Angelo, small and specialised (history, history of art & architecture) is accessible on appointment. 

Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Rome
tel. 06 6819111 or write to the librarian at miria.nardi[at]cultura.gov.it

The Biblioteca del Centro Documentazione delle donne (Studi sul Femminismo -- Biblioteca "Archivia") collects documents regarding the feminist movement from the 60ies to present. For further information (library and archive opening hours, access) please consult the website.

Via della Lungara 19 (Centro)  and Via della Penitenza, 37 (Archivia), 00165 Rome
tel. 06 6833180 or archivia.cidd[at]libero.it and archivia.info[at]libero.it

The Associazione nazionale per gli interessi del Mezzogiorno d’Italia (ANIMI), founded in 1910, is dedicated to the study of southern Italy (the Mezzogiorno). ANIMI has an excellent library, the Biblioteca Giustino Fortunato, created in 1923 and containing at present over 60,000 volumes dedicated to the study of the Mezzogiorno. Its historical archive contains documents relating to the association’s ninety-year history as well as important collections, including the papers of the noted archaeologist Umberto Zanotti Bianco and a large collection of historic photographs. For further information about opening hours and access, please consult the ANIMI’s homepage.

Via di Porta Pinciana 6, 00187 Rome
tel. 06 4785 0239 or segretaria[at]animi.it or biblioteca[at]animi.it or smg[at]animi.it

The Archivio Storico Capitolino is dedicated to the preservation of the documentation produced by the Municipality of Rome from the Middle Ages to present. It houses, together with ancient documents, all the maps produced by the Municipality over time, the archive of the Municipality, a number of family archives, the Biblioteca Romana, the Archivio Fotografico and the Emeroteca Romana. For further information about access, opening hours, and holdings, please consult the Archivio’s website and online access to its material.

Piazza dell’ Orologio, 4, 00186 Rome
tel. 06 67108100 or archivio.capitolino[at]comune.roma.it