Catholic World News News Feature

Vatican Library to close for renovations May 04, 2007

The Vatican Library will be closed for 3 years, beginning this summer, for extensive renovations.

In an interview for the German news agency KNA, the vice-prefect of the Vatican Library, Father Amgroi Piazzoni, announced that the building will be closed in July. Modernization plans, which include the installation of air-conditioning and an elevator, are scheduled for completion in September 2010.

The Library's collection of over 1.6 million books, manuscripts, documents, and ancient scrolls will be moved to temporary locations during the renovation process, and most materials will still be accessible to visiting scholars. The Vatican Archives will also remain open for research.