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Take in your hands the Book in order to read it as
Simeone has taken in its arms the child Jesus in
order to carry it and to kiss it. After to have read
it, close the book, and give thanks for every Word
exited from the mouth of God: since you have found a
treasure hidden in the field of the Lord. The
treasure of the Church must therefore be conserved
to the soil shelter, elaborated and produced by holy
Doctors, transcribed and collected by good copier,
donated by God for the consolation of many.
(Tommaso
da Kempis, Doctrinale iuvenum, 5)
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The north side of the vaulted cloister
leads to the Hall of the Communal Fire (calefactory). It was
once a place where the monks would gather to warm themselves
before the large fireplace. Since 1953, this area has been
used as a reading and consultation room for the National
Monument Library, which currently houses approximately
120,000 volumes.
An 18th century staircase
leads up to the ancient library.
A Renaissance portal leads into the large room, with a
wooden ceiling divided into bays, containing seventeen
paintings by G.B.
Zelotti. Nine other works by the same artist – which are
now displayed in the
monumental refectory – decorated the walls before the current
shelves were installed in 1768. The
pictorial cycle is an important artistic
representation of Christian Wisdom, the gift of God and the
art of living according with his plan of salvation.
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