Biblioteca Statale di Lucca [Lucca State Library] The first core
of the Biblioteca Statale di Lucca came from the Library of the
Order of Regular Clerics of the Mother of God, founded in the
17th century by Abbot Girolamo Minutoli. In 1780 it became part
of the Pio Istituto di San Frediano, delegated to public studies
by a decision of the Lucca Senate. In 1791, the Republic of
Lucca conferred on it printing rights, thanks to which it could
receive free of charge all of the publications put out by the
State. Opened to the public with a solemn ceremony on November
13, 1794, the library subsequently incremented its assets by
acquiring the ample library of the Lucca physician and botanist
Francesco Maria Fiorentini (1603-1673). But on the evening of
January 30, 1822, a devastating fire sent up in flames a great
number of texts. In 1861 the Library became the property of the
Kingdom of Italy and in 1866 it acquired nearly 90,000 volumes
coming from the libraries of the suppressed monasteries and
convents. In 1877