MAGLIABECHI, ANTONIO. - Scholar and bibliophile, b. in Florence on 28 Oct. 1633, d. there on 27 June 1714. Devoting himself to scholarly studies, he was appointed librarian of the Palatina by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III: a post he held until his death, remaining always a passionate collector of books and manuscripts.

He was admired by his contemporaries for his exceptional memory and prodigious learning, which he generously placed at the disposal of scholars throughout Europe, and satirized for the deformed squalor of his person and the surliness of his character. He bequeathed his rich library to the "poor of Jesus Christ," destined to become the first nucleus of the future National Library of Florence. Reading and collecting books constituted M.'s vocation, and he left in writing only letters and catalogues.

MAGLIABECHI, ANTONIO - Portrait engraved by A. Montauti.(from A. M. Satrini, Delle Iodi di A. M. Orosione Juntore..., Florence 1915)

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: A. Baccelli, A. M. (nel IIIᵉ centenario della nascita), in Nuova antologia, 1933, v. pp. 590-99; D. Fava, La Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Firenze e le sue insigne raccolte, Milano 1939, p. 12 seg.; M. Battistini, A. M. e la sua collaborazione all'opera bollandiana, in Bulletin de l'Institut historique belge de Rome, 22 (1942-43), pp. 113-259.

Francesco Barberi

@incollection{ec7_magliabechi_antonio, author = {Barberi, Francesco}, title = {Magliabechi, antonio}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1836--1837}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/magliabechi-antonio} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Magliabechi, Antonio

About this entry