Vatican City: The Vatican`s Apostolic Library is reopening to scholars following a three-year renovation to improve its cataloguing and security measures.
The library, which houses one of the world`s best collections of illuminated manuscripts, opens its doors on September 20. Details will be announced on Monday at a press conference.
The library was started by Pope Nicholas V in the 1450s with an initial 350 Latin manuscripts. By the time Nicholas died in 1455, the collection had swelled to about 1,500 codices and was the largest in Europe.
Today, the Vatican Library has about 65,000 manuscripts as well as the "Codex B" — the oldest known complete Bible, dating from about 325 and believed to have been one of the 50 bibles Emperor Constantine commissioned.
Bureau Report
