Biblioteca Malatestiana
Biblioteca Malatestiana
Biblioteca Malatestiana
5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
723 reviews
Excellent
618
Very good
83
Average
17
Poor
5
Terrible
0
viaggioSensoriale
Cesena, Italy1,210 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
In this sad period ravaged by the coronavirus, I am closed in the house but if I go out to my balcony I cannot avoid thinking that a few hundred meters from me there is this magnificent library, built in the mid-1400s by an incredibly enlightened man . Novello Malatesta built the first library open to all, so for the first time in history culture knowledge was available to everyone and not only to religious or the wealthy. Entering the library rooms you are enveloped in an incredible magic the books tell a story of a literally enchanted place, the Reading Room is positioned in a way that the light is always regular for reading and the temperature both in winter and summer is almost always constant. Extraordinary are the Miniati codes and the huge "choirs".
The diffusion of knowledge and culture for all helps to face periods of great difficulty for all humanity in a more conscious way.
A praise goes to the volunteers and guides who guide visitors in a very professional way through the library rooms
We will be able to overcome this virus all together and we will return to have the joy of also physically experiencing these beauties
The diffusion of knowledge and culture for all helps to face periods of great difficulty for all humanity in a more conscious way.
A praise goes to the volunteers and guides who guide visitors in a very professional way through the library rooms
We will be able to overcome this virus all together and we will return to have the joy of also physically experiencing these beauties
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
born2travelit
Cesena, Italy16,773 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
this is one of the most ancient and furnished library in italy. here you can definitely find everything you need. amazing
Written May 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Degirmencioglu
istanbul47 contributions
Jun 2014 • Business
This is where you find history, good books, clever and tasty design together. The neighborhood behind the library is a place to explore, too.
Written July 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David W
Boston, MA139 contributions
Mar 2014 • Solo
The Library is a marvel well worth a visit. But the 40-minute tour I took (for 5 euros) was disappointing for an English-speaker. The guide was personable and, from the smattering of the Italian I could understand, certainly seemed to know the library in great detail. But if you don't understand Italian, you are given an audio device that contains about 10 mins of background on the library.
The tour takes you down a long hall where the guide dwells on a genealogical chart of the creators of the library and on a map of the layout of the buildings. You are finally admitted to the library itself. In the entrance way are two old, beautiful books in display cases. They are the only books you will see open, except for six 15th century music books.
The guide finally turns the two keys required to enter the old reading room. It's lovely and very interesting. You stand at the back of the room as the guide conveys much more in Italian than the audio guide does in English. From where you stand, you can see the rows of "pews" (which are actually stands for reading) and a few of the books chained to the shelves underneath the stands. This is definitely the highlight of the tour.
Then you are admitted to a spruced up version of the "Pope's library." Old books line the walls behind closed doors. The music books are on display, and while they're lovely, I would very much have enjoyed seeing a wider array of books. There is also a small display of miniature books, which are interesting curios.
If you care about the history of libraries (I do), this is a must-see. If you are interested in seeing medieval and Renaissance texts, you will see only a few here. And unless you understand Italian, you will learn more from doing a little research online than you will from the English audio guide.
The tour takes you down a long hall where the guide dwells on a genealogical chart of the creators of the library and on a map of the layout of the buildings. You are finally admitted to the library itself. In the entrance way are two old, beautiful books in display cases. They are the only books you will see open, except for six 15th century music books.
The guide finally turns the two keys required to enter the old reading room. It's lovely and very interesting. You stand at the back of the room as the guide conveys much more in Italian than the audio guide does in English. From where you stand, you can see the rows of "pews" (which are actually stands for reading) and a few of the books chained to the shelves underneath the stands. This is definitely the highlight of the tour.
Then you are admitted to a spruced up version of the "Pope's library." Old books line the walls behind closed doors. The music books are on display, and while they're lovely, I would very much have enjoyed seeing a wider array of books. There is also a small display of miniature books, which are interesting curios.
If you care about the history of libraries (I do), this is a must-see. If you are interested in seeing medieval and Renaissance texts, you will see only a few here. And unless you understand Italian, you will learn more from doing a little research online than you will from the English audio guide.
Written March 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
born2travelit
Cesena, Italy16,773 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
here is a peaceful place where you can spend hours reading or studying in complete relax. you can find a huge numbers of books and there is free wi fi as well
Written April 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lrahil313
Charlotte, NC182 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
A couple of things I wish I would have known before coming here:
1) It is on the 2nd flr of the current, modern Public Library
2) You can only just walk in the door; the reading desks and essentially the library itself is roped off
3) The "guide" is just the guy that opens the gate and the door and plays the "history" off his phone in whatever language you request
That being said, even though I was a bit disappointed in experiencing the library itself, it was still a major book/history nerd moment to even be there. To see the old reading alters with the manuscripts still attached with the original chains and the two keyed door that was also part of the original library, still standing just as they 550+yrs before; it was actually surreal to process. And the fact that I had it all to myself, (I lucked out as it was just me and the guide) made it all the more special!
There is a large room adjacent to the library hall where some of the previous popes' personal collections as well as manuscripts from the early 1400s-1600s and old medical, botany, and other scientific books from the 15th century on, are encased. You can also walk around the enclosed bookcases and see some of the old books throughout the collection, which is extremely impressive!
For me, however, the smell was the most intoxicating part of the whole experience. The smell in the ancient reading hall, and the smell in the book museum. That old, earthy blend of vellum, antique inks, and timeworn leathers was ethereal and well worth the 5 euro price of admission!
I had specifically come to Cesena to visit this library and was only there for just over 2hrs as a detour on my way to Rome from Venice; it took me longer to travel there than time spent! But, it was so worth the visit to experience such a venerable and only humanistic-conventual link to the past. That, in and of itself, was worth the effort!
Tip: Unless you are part of a pre-scheduled tour group, you will need to purchase a ticket and request a guide from one of the receptionists in the unmarked office behind the wood door immediately to your right as you come up the stairs to the second floor.
1) It is on the 2nd flr of the current, modern Public Library
2) You can only just walk in the door; the reading desks and essentially the library itself is roped off
3) The "guide" is just the guy that opens the gate and the door and plays the "history" off his phone in whatever language you request
That being said, even though I was a bit disappointed in experiencing the library itself, it was still a major book/history nerd moment to even be there. To see the old reading alters with the manuscripts still attached with the original chains and the two keyed door that was also part of the original library, still standing just as they 550+yrs before; it was actually surreal to process. And the fact that I had it all to myself, (I lucked out as it was just me and the guide) made it all the more special!
There is a large room adjacent to the library hall where some of the previous popes' personal collections as well as manuscripts from the early 1400s-1600s and old medical, botany, and other scientific books from the 15th century on, are encased. You can also walk around the enclosed bookcases and see some of the old books throughout the collection, which is extremely impressive!
For me, however, the smell was the most intoxicating part of the whole experience. The smell in the ancient reading hall, and the smell in the book museum. That old, earthy blend of vellum, antique inks, and timeworn leathers was ethereal and well worth the 5 euro price of admission!
I had specifically come to Cesena to visit this library and was only there for just over 2hrs as a detour on my way to Rome from Venice; it took me longer to travel there than time spent! But, it was so worth the visit to experience such a venerable and only humanistic-conventual link to the past. That, in and of itself, was worth the effort!
Tip: Unless you are part of a pre-scheduled tour group, you will need to purchase a ticket and request a guide from one of the receptionists in the unmarked office behind the wood door immediately to your right as you come up the stairs to the second floor.
Written March 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John M
Abbots Langley, UK146 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
Its a Library, probably the oldest in the world, and therefore full of old books, very interesting, if you like old books and old libraries!!!!
Written June 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
born2travelit
Cesena, Italy16,773 contributions
Mar 2014 • Friends
located in the city center of cesena. this majestic and old building keeps many books and not only. friendly and prepared operator,you can easily find what you look for
Written March 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aussies11
Montelparo, Italy4,555 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
We have been living close to Cesena for the last 4 months and having been to many other top places such as Ravenna, Cervia, the hills of the Rubicone (Longiano), Ferrara, Bologna, we nearly missed seeing this great work of "art" and history within the world of the books, or earlier, the manuscripts. Firstly in architectural terms the actual library hall has a very harmonious design and it has been carefully preserved. It was not ravaged by the French invasions/troops, or by the Romans, or anyone or anything such as earthquakes. The guided tour starts with the tour guide opening the carved walnut wooden doors with two separate keys, and once the doors are opened your eyes see a marvellous library hall, all intact as it was back in 1454. Apparently the window frames and glass windows were replaced in 1925. This is one of the first "public" libraries and hence did not belong to a religious order as such although it was originally conceived by the Franciscan monks whose convent was on part of the site. The project was then taken over by Novello Malatesta (the ruler of Cesena) who gifted it to the community. It was inaugurated on 15 August 1454. We felt privileged to be part of the guided tour. The gentleman concerned gave an excellent description of how life was at the time, the vision of Malatesta, importance of the latin language, the manuscripts that are chained to the desks, their content and general history of the library. You do realise why UNESCO made awarded this library "memory of the world" status. Lastly, there is a great collection of vintage postcards, posters, booklets and menus from many Italian cities and villages in one of the other display rooms.
Written September 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
talpinator
tokyo18 contributions
Sep 2012 • Family
worth a visit, although its a little pricey...then again this is the oldest public library in the world! also claims to have the worlds smallest printed book (although guiness book of records doesn't seem to agree with them...)
Written September 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
giovanni s
9 contributions
C'é un biglietto d'ingresso? Quanto costa?
casadeiroberto55@libero.it
Cesena, Italy678 contributions
Si per la biblioteca antica visitabile tutti i giorni tranne il lunedì prezzo normale € 6
Stella C.
Olbia, Italy443 contributions
È aperta nel ponte dell'Immacolata? ?
Teresina B
Corinaldo, Italy27 contributions
si con variazioni orarie
Jessica Z
6 contributions
È aperta la domenica? Grazie
Dottor Uto
Cesena, Italy9,858 contributions
La domenica è aperta dalle 15 alle 19
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Claim your listingBiblioteca Malatestiana - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Biblioteca Malatestiana
- Biblioteca Malatestiana is open:
- Sun - Sun 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Mon - Mon 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Tue - Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Hotels near Biblioteca Malatestiana:
- (0.09 mi) B&B Al Re
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- (0.12 mi) Il Voltone Bed&Breakfast
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- (0.18 mi) Mondo Antico Bed & Breakfast
- Restaurants near Biblioteca Malatestiana:
- (0.03 mi) Mastro Birraio
- (0.03 mi) La Malaghiotta
- (0.03 mi) Drogheria Maison Lulú
- (0.05 mi) Yume Ramen
- (0.05 mi) Babbi Cafè
Biblioteca Malatestiana Information
Excellent Reviews | 618 |
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Very Good Reviews | 83 |
Biblioteca Malatestiana Photos | 488 |