THE INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY “LA VIGNA” IN VICENZA, FOCUSES ON THE FARM WORLD, COUNTS 50,000 VOLUMES, IS UNIQUE IN ITS FIELD, A REFERENCE POINT FOR SCHOLARS AND PROMOTES PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE

The library is unique in the world: a cultural and documentary institute specializing in the study of the agricultural world. It is a true reference point for scholars in the oenology field who visit from around the world, to research, analyze and discuss ethnographic, sociological and historical studies connected to farm life cycles, work and production. The International Library “LA VIGNA” in Vicenza boasts a collection of approximately 50,000 volumes, constantly enriched with documents in all languages. It is the Center for the study of the culture and civilization of farming and promotes cultural activities, research, conferences and book presentations on topics aimed towards the advancement of agriculture. More than 50 events will be held in 2010 including collaborations with leading universities and the continuation of the project to digitalize antique texts (info: www.lavigna.it).
“One of the priorities in 2010, ”says the president Mario Bagnara, “is the collaboration with universities linked to our activities. The first one is the International School of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo (Cuneo), which houses students from 40 countries around the world. We expect to have close collaboration with the University of Vicenza and its course on Food Safety, which has aroused great interest among the students”. One of the Institute’s scientific projects is the digitalization of antique volumes, (there are 25 so far). “This project,” continued the president, “consists in transforming the most valuable and fine volumes into electronic documents”. Each page is photographed, according to ministerial regulations, and the images in HD are burned to a DVD, and then filed. This way the PDF files can be found both in the libraries and on the website”.
Founded in 1981 by the entrepreneur Demetrio Zaccaria who, in the 1950s, began his collection of texts about viticulture and wine making. After his death in 1993, his private collections were given to the community.
The “La Vigna” library is located in Palazzo Brusarosco-Zaccaria, a nineteenth-century building, partially restored by Carlo Scarpa after the end of the Second World War. Today, the library collection is constantly enriched with select acquisitions from specific antique dealers markets as well as regular markets. For the most part, any document regarding agriculture published in Italian is acquired, while documents relating specifically to vines and wines are also acquired on International markets, particularly documents published in English, French and Spanish. A great percentage of the library’s volumes are about the cultivation of vines and wine production, and many documents also cover specific topics, such as the cultivation of potatoes and olives, bee farms and the production of oil and honey.
Source: Ansa