Chronicle of visits to the General Archive and Library of the Carmelite Order

We would like to tell you about the guided tours on May 19, 2023, which took place at the General Archive and Library of the Carmelites on the occasion of the Days for the Valorisation of Ecclesiastical Heritage. The three tour slots were attended by around fifty people, including employees of the Carmelite General Curia, sector professionals, scholars, and curious visitors, who were drawn in by the sight of the Library’s doors being open after forty years.

The tour began with an introduction to the history and organisation of the Archive and Library by Fr. Mario Alfarano; subsequently, Sara Bischetti illustrated the library holdings and research tools, displaying some of the oldest items preserved there, including incunabula and 16th-century books. The visitors then explored the three floors of library shelving, reaching the level where the Archive is located: here, Simona Serci recounted the history and evolution of the Order through the exhibition of papal bulls and short pontifical decrees, general and provincial chapters, documentation from the Traspontina convent and the Sant'Alberto International College. The tour concluded in the storage area where the documentary section of the General Postulancy is kept, with the records of the causes of Carmelite saints and blessed.

The visits concluded with the blessing of the Library by Fr. Tadeusz Popiela, Prior of CISA, to inaugurate the new public opening, and with a reception, accompanied by piano music from Loredana Birocci, which provided an opportunity for meeting and sharing.

We are pleased to show you some photographs from the day and, grateful to everyone for their warm participation and interest shown, we hope to be able to repeat this in the future with equal success.  

With our best regards,

Mario, Ocarm, Sara and Simona