Churches: San Marco (Part 2 of 5)

The San Marco convent houses a large library that was added when the Dominicans moved in and the convent was rebuilt with Medici money. 

The library was designed by Michelozzo.  Its Renaissance architecture is beautiful in its symmetry and it resembles the nearby Basilica of San Lorenzo built during the same era.

The library was once filled with books and with monks illuminating manuscripts.  The book collection included ancient Greek and Roman books that were frequently consulted by Florentine thinkers and writers.  The library also housed religious texts and scientific texts covering many subjects, including medicine, geometry, mathematics and astronomy.

Today, the library is home to a museum that displays rare illuminated manuscripts and the tools used to make them.

Here are some photographic highlights from our visit to the library.

The library is a very long rectangular room with a triple nave and barrel vaulted ceiling. 

At each end of the room is a fresco with a painting of a renowned Dominican friar philosopher in the center. 

St.. Thomas Aquinas

St. Albert the Great

 

The ancient illuminated manuscripts were created in the library by highly skilled Dominican friars.  As many as 64 friars could work on manuscripts at the same time.  Pages of some of the manuscripts were painted by Fra Angelico.  Below are two examples along with photos of some of the materials used to create the manuscripts.

Next Up: San Marco's most controversial resident.