Palazzo Farnese restoration works and library: access to rooms and collections (2021-2025)

The restoration works on the roof and façades of Palazzo Farnese, which has begun in June 2021, continues throughout 2022.

The worksite has some consequences on the library, especially on the access to its collections: all the documents located on the third floor will be subjected to moments of unavailability, during the four years of works currently planned.

The worksite gradually involves: the rooms of the Volterra gallery (2021/2022) during the works along via dei Farnesi; the Chiffre gallery (starting from September 2022) during the works along via del Mascherone; the gallery des Études (2023) during the works on the façade; and finally the Volterra room (2024) when the works on the backside of the Palace will take place.

The reading rooms involved in the works (essentially during the first phase of the works) on the side of via dei Farnesi will be closed and reopened gradually, as the worksite progresses: during the closure of one room or two rooms, the others will remain accessible.

What are the consequences on the library?

When a room is closed, its collections are not available, not even upon request.

Some exceptions will be made for some parts of collections that are particularly requested: they will be moved to a temporary library on the second floor.

When a room is closed, the reading places located in it are not available. Due to the particular situation of the pandemic and the limited access to the library, the staff undertakes to redistribute the non-available seats in the other rooms, to ensure seating in compliance with current sanitary regulations.

The works may produce noises and difficulties in circulation, even if everything has been done so that the movements related to the worksite take place outside.

The library, however, takes advantage of the unavailability of the collections to activate internal maintenance sites and to improve its service:

• Dusting of the collections, before and after having covered them in a tarpaulin during the works in the room where they are located. This "worksite within the worksite" is ensured by an external service provider, and it is included in the general work planning.
• Binding or repairing the most fragile volumes;
• Reclassification, thinning and complete rearrangement of the collections of each room;
• Rearrangement of the reading rooms when they reopen.

The library team is more than ever at your disposal to assist you during the works:

• By answering your questions by e-mail: accueil.bibliotheque(at)efrome.it;
• By intensifying our presence in the reading room: at the welcome point and in the main Gallery;
• By updating as necessary the news, onsite at the library and on our web page.

The library is also partner of the Carnet Hypothèse "Farnese 150" opened during the works →

Looking forward to see you at the library!