Laurentian Library Self-researched

A historic library in Florence, containing more than 11,000 manuscripts and 4,500 early printed books. Built in a cloister of the Medicean Basilica di San Lorenzo under the patronage of the Medici pope Clement VII, the library was built to emphasize that the Medici were no longer just merchants but members of intelligent and ecclesiastical society.

The library building is renowned for its architecture designed by Michelangelo and is an example of Mannerism. The vestibule features a revolutionary staircase with three flights that pour down like lava, creating a dramatic entrance to the reading room. The architectural elements—columns, pilasters, and brackets—are treated in unconventional ways that anticipate Baroque architecture.