The Biblioteca Fardelliana is a historic public library in Trapani, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1830 by Giambattista Fardella, Marquis of Torrearsa, it is housed in the former Church of San Giacomo, a medieval building later restored in Baroque style. The library preserves a significant collection of manuscripts, early printed books, and historical volumes, and also provides access to digital resources through national and international library networks.
The Biblioteca Fardelliana was founded on 21 April 1830 by Giambattista Fardella, Marquis of Torrearsa, a military officer and politician of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, as well as a bibliophile and cultural patron.[1]
The library was initially opened to the public under the name Public Municipal Library of the Capovalle of Trapani (Italian: Pubblica Biblioteca Comunale del Capovalle di Trapani) and was endowed with Fardella’s personal book collection, which included manuscripts, incunabula, and sixteenth-century printed works. Its headquarters were established in the former palace of the Compagnia dei Bianchi, which in 1826 had transferred the upper floor of the building to the municipality on the condition that it be restored and used as a public library.[1]
Only a few months after its opening, the institution was renamed Biblioteca Fardelliana in honour of its founder. In March 1831, the municipal library was merged with the provincial library, incorporating the book collection established in 1825 by Giuseppe Maria Berardo XXVI di Ferro at the convent of the Discalced Augustinians.[1]
In 1881, Giovanni Battista Fardella, mayor of Trapani and great-grandnephew of the founder, established a bequest in favour of the library, ensuring its financial and institutional continuity. On 9 September 1889, the library was formally entrusted to a charitable public body (ente morale), and its statute was officially approved.[1]
Since 1983, the Biblioteca Fardelliana has published the cultural journal La Fardelliana.[1]
Building
The building that houses the Biblioteca Fardelliana was originally the Church of San Giacomo, constructed in the thirteenth century by the military Order of the Knights of Saint James. The church featured a single central altar, which housed a marble statue of Saint James the Greater, carved in 1522 by Antonello Gagini. This sculpture, together with other statues attributed to Vincenzo Gagini, is now preserved in the Pepoli Regional Museum in Trapani.[1]
In 1825, the historian Giuseppe Maria Di Ferro described the statue of Saint James the Greater as one of Antonello Gagini’s finest works, praising its elegance, harmony of form, and expressive character. Di Ferro also attributed the remaining marble statues in the church, depicting Saints Philip, James the Less, and Vitus, to Vincenzo Gagini, noting their high artistic quality and the presence of a fragmented inscription dated 1453 distributed among the three figures.[2]
After the dissolution of the Order, the church and adjoining building were assigned to the Compagnia dei Bianchi, a lay confraternity dedicated to the burial of the poor and to providing assistance to prisoners sentenced to death. Between 1740 and 1747, the architect Giovanni Biagio Amico directed a major restoration of the complex, including the construction of the monumental staircase and the renovation of the façade in Baroque style.[1]
Further alterations were carried out during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1967 a major refurbishment replaced the original wooden shelving with metal structures. The most recent restoration, completed in 2007 under the direction of architect Matteo Vullo, involved structural and technological upgrades, the restoration of the façade and staircase, the installation of an elevator, and the insertion of a metal framework for book storage.[1]
Collections
The library’s holdings comprise approximately 170,000 volumes, including a significant number of historically and artistically valuable works. The collection features manuscripts, choir books (chorali), incunabula from the fifteenth century, and sixteenth-century printed books, many of which originated from dissolved religious orders or were acquired through early donations such as that of the founder, Giambattista Fardella. The library’s holdings cover a wide range of subjects, including literature, philosophy, religion, and the sciences.[3]
In addition to its historical holdings, the Biblioteca Fardelliana provides access to digital resources through its participation in the MediaLibraryOnLine network. The platform offers more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines from approximately 90 countries in 40 languages, as well as e-books, music, films and online training courses. Access to the service is free for registered users of the library who reside or are domiciled in the province of Trapani.[4]
References
12345678"Storia"[History]. Biblioteca Fardelliana (in Italian). Comune di Trapani. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
↑Di Ferro, Giuseppe Maria (1825). Guida per gli stranieri in Trapani: con un saggio storico[A Guide for Foreigners to Trapani: With a Historical Essay] (in Italian). Trapani: Pietro Mannone e Solina. pp.273–275.
↑"Patrimonio Librario"[Book Heritage]. Biblioteca Fardelliana (in Italian). Comune di Trapani. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
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