The Schwarzenbach Reading Room
The Schwarzenbach Reading Room lies at the heart of the VEC’s Heritage Collections. It houses more than 5,000 books on Catholic history — with a particular emphasis on the post-Reformation history of England and Wales — and serves as a dedicated space for research for up to four scholars, admitted by appointment.
It also doubles up as a study area for seminarians and priests at the VEC, thereby ensuring that the link between the VEC community and its Heritage Collections continues to flourish. We are delighted to have dedicated the room to Urs and Francesca Schwarzenbach, friends and benefactors of the College for more than a decade.
The Reading Room is fully air-conditioned, allowing research to take place in an atmosphere which students find comfortable, while also providing the right protection for the many papers and manuscripts contained in the Archive. Wi-Fi and low-intensity lighting make for a first-class study experience.
The collection includes a complete set of English Recusant Literature, 1558–1640 (Scolar Press, 1967–79), comprising some 630 titles published in facsimile in 394 volumes, and believed to be the only such set in Italy.
The VEC also possesses a collection of some 15,000 rare books, many relating to the history of the English and Welsh Catholic community, and these date from the 16th century. Taken as a whole, the reference library is unique in Rome.
We are very grateful to the Friends of the Venerabile, The Trustees of St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund, and the Rope Trust (Mrs L D Rope’s Third Charitable Settlement), for helping to fund the Reading Room project.
Scholars are invited to book an appointment online if they are interested in working in the Archive.
