 main index © Jeff Matthews 2002-2012 Storia Patria Nostra Library
My least favorite quote about books
is from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 12:12—“…of making many
books there is no end; and much study is a weariness
of the flesh…”. It is, however, the one favored by
most of my college students. My favorite quote, on the
other hand, is from Groucho Marx: “Outside
of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a
dog, it's too dark to read.”
Which reminds
me—I have no dog, but the Storia
Patria Nostra library has long been one of
my best friends in Naples. Whether I want an item
about the recent history of Naples or the front
page of the March 13, 1918 Mattino
(which chronicled a WWI German
Zeppelin attack on Naples), they put up with
me. Even cheerfully. They look at my scribbled
request slip, wonder why I don’t cross my 7’s,
smile, disappear for a moment and reappear with
the goods. The holdings of the library consist of about 350,000 volumes and monographs plus an enormous number of newspapers and other periodicals. It is the largest such institution in southern Italy and, indeed, is one of many such regional societies in Italy, each dedicated to its own local history. For the foreigner, it is important to remember that “Patria nostra” does not mean simply the city of Naples, and not even just the province. It should be understood in the sense of “southern Italy.” The society that governs the library also publishes the periodical Archivio Storico per le Province Napoletane, an important scholarly journal that was, between 1899 and 1932, in the diligent hands of Benedetto Croce, one of the great historians and scholars in European history. The library hosts numerous conferences and discussions, as well. |
