User:TracyVitale/Biblioteca Metropolitana De Gemmis

The Biblioteca de Gemmis was founded in 1960 with the donation of books and archive records collection by Gennaro de Gemmis to province of Bari. Initially placed in Catapano's Court, then in other places in the Murat neighborhood, the library has been definitively placed since 2003 in the Santa Teresa dei Maschi Convent, recently restored.

Library's History
Gennaro de Gemmis tirelessly adoperated for the formation of the first nucleus of a historical archive of Apulia. His travels in throughout Europe, expecially to Lipsia, Oxford, Brema, but even in the States, they takes him to conspicuous collection, the most rich of the entire Apulia, initially situated at the de Gemmis's Palace in Piazza Garibaldi in Bari, so in his country's residence, Villa di San Giuliano in Terlizzi, where he made it available to the public. The collection, made up of over 70000 among books and pamphlets, was defined "National monuments” and for a long time promoted by Gennaro de Gemmis with cultural initiatives anf conferences. De Gemmis, having acquird important positions in prestigious historical institutions, managed after several controversies to donate his manuscript bibliographic heritage on 18 febrary 1957. The 15 may of 1960 the provincial library "Gennaro De Gemmis" was inaugurated and led by the baron himself that who died in the 23 marzo 1963. In the following years the huge books's collection was enriched by other archival funds donated or purchased by the Provincial Administration itself. (F.S.Vista, G.B. Beltrani, V. Rogadeo, A. Lucarelli, S. La Sorsa, G. Colella, F.S. Colavecchio, T. Fiore, E. Laricchiuta, F. Casavola, P. Delfino Pesce).

Bibliografia

 * M. V. [Michele Viterbo]. Gennaro De Gemmis. «Archivio storico pugliese», 16 (1963), p. 197-198: 1 ritr. Pubbl. nel 1964.
 * I nostri morti. «Archivio storico pugliese», 16 (1963), p. 203-204. Pubbl. nel 1964.
 * Francesco Barberi. Schede di un bibliotecario (1933-1975). Roma: Associazione italiana biblioteche, 1984, p. 32-33.