A Library written directly on the walls and ceiling, which, through frescoes and its drawn symbols, will leave you breathless. A fascinating pictorial language is written in the four languages depicted: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac... #tuttitaly
The Monumental Library of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma is rich in history and culture. Located inside the Abbey of San Giovanni Evangelista, the library was wholly frescoed in 1574-1575 by the Bolognese painters Giovanni Antonio Paganino and Ercole Pio, commissioned by Abbot Stefano Cattaneo da Novara.
The library hall was rebuilt in 1523 after a fire had destroyed it in 1447. The new organization of the spaces reflects the abbey's new role as a center of education for the monks, specializing in teaching logic and natural philosophy.
During his abbacy, Abbot Stefano Cattaneo da Novara decided to decorate the library walls with an iconographic apparatus that could instruct the monks. He relied on important classical and contemporary texts to elaborate the iconography, inserting the symbolism of the frescoes into the Renaissance culture of the time.
The Bolognese painters completed the pictorial cycle in 1575, constantly informing the Farnese family members about the work's progress. The library is located on the first floor of the abbey's first complex, with windows overlooking the abbey's cloisters.
The hall is organized into three aisles with a vault decorated with grotesque motifs and frescoes on justice.
The wall paintings feature a variety of iconographic themes, including maps, biblical figures, genealogies, symbolism, and battles. One fresco celebrates the Lordship of the Farnese family with a map of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. At the same time, another represents the Battle of Lepanto, with the Farnese fleet led by Alessandro Farnese at the center.
The Monumental Library of San Giovanni Evangelista is a fascinating place that combines art, history, and culture. It represents a must-see stop for art and history lovers visiting Parma.
