Biblioteca Piana

The Biblioteca Piana is the private collection of Pope Pius VII, born in Cesena and bequeathed by him to his birthplace. It preserves more than five thousand volumes and fifteen illuminated choir books.

Why it matters

Pius VII, born Barnaba Chiaramonti, left his library to Cesena in his will. The collection comprises more than 5,000 volumes, mostly printed books, and reflects the city's book culture three centuries after the founding of the Malatestiana in 1454.

What to notice

The Chiaramonti library is a scholarly collection of printed books. A series of fifteen corali, monumental choir books from Cesena's cathedral and the church of the Osservanza, contains large parchment pages with miniature painting; the books were made for singing, with each opening serving a monastic community.

Context and history

The collection takes its name from its founder, Pope Pius VII. Its bequest turned a private library into a civic inheritance. Cesena counts three popes among its sons, and the collection's fifteen notable choir books connect it to the city's musical and liturgical history. The corali came from the cathedral and the Osservanza church, rather than from the pope's own shelves.