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The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, Vatican City
The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, Vatican City. Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
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The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, Vatican City. Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sistine_Hall_of_the_Vatican_Library_(2994335291).jpg
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Sistine Hall, Vatican Library

Vatican City, 1585–88, frescoes to 1590

Reading room for qualified scholars only (Salone Sistino reading room since Oct 2017)

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The record

Worth knowing

  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: In 1902 the library bought its old seventeenth-century rival, the Barberini Library, together with the baroque shelving that held it.

    primaryvaticanlibrary.va
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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: In 1902 the library bought its old seventeenth-century rival, the Barberini Library, together with the baroque shelving that held it.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-1yirsfo
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  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: In 1927 Pius XI turned the old stables in the Belvedere courtyard, made redundant by the motor car, into stacks for printed books.

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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: In 1927 Pius XI turned the old stables in the Belvedere courtyard, made redundant by the motor car, into stacks for printed books.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-1ly4xsi
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  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: Part of the medieval papal library, left at Avignon, passed to the Borghese family in the 1600s and was bought by Leo XIII in 1891.

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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: Part of the medieval papal library, left at Avignon, passed to the Borghese family in the 1600s and was bought by Leo XIII in 1891.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-0fs4tpr
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  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: Readers could borrow books from the early library, and the loan registers for 1475 to 1547 survive.

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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: Readers could borrow books from the early library, and the loan registers for 1475 to 1547 survive.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-0ubo9zt
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  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: The French occupations of Rome in 1798-99 and 1809 cost the library nearly all of its coin and medal collection.

    primaryvaticanlibrary.va
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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, worth knowing: The French occupations of Rome in 1798-99 and 1809 cost the library nearly all of its coin and medal collection.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-0mx9jqm
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Built

  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built: 1585-1588 (Salone Sistino built by Domenico Fontana)

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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built: 1585-1588 (Salone Sistino built by Domenico Fontana)
Source: https://www.museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/eventi_novita/iniziative/eventi/2013/MV_2_Museo_profano_biblioteca_apostolica.pdf
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-17dcnwl
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  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built: Built under Sixtus V (1585-1590) by Domenico Fontana

    primarym.museivaticani.va
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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built: Built under Sixtus V (1585-1590) by Domenico Fontana
Source: https://m.museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/eventi_novita/iniziative/eventi/2013/MV_2_Museo_profano_biblioteca_apostolica.pdf
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-0th3nt9
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Architect

  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, architect: Domenico Fontana

    primarym.museivaticani.va
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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, architect: Domenico Fontana
Source: https://m.museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/eventi_novita/iniziative/eventi/2013/MV_2_Museo_profano_biblioteca_apostolica.pdf
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-01hvoax
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Size

  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, size: 70 m long x 11 m wide (hall, two aisles)

    secondaryvaticannews.va
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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, size: 70 m long x 11 m wide (hall, two aisles)
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/de/vatikan/news/2017-10/vatikan--lesesaal-erstrahlt-wieder-im-neuen-glanz.print.html
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-0i2l1dl
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Volumes

  • Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, volumes: Salone Sistino holds about 28,000 volumes; reading room (24 seats) opened Oct 2017

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    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, volumes: Salone Sistino holds about 28,000 volumes; reading room (24 seats) opened Oct 2017
Source: https://www.vatlib.it/it/la-biblioteca/sezione-sale-e-magazzini-stampati.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#f-14fpvah
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What happened here

  1. 1588Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built, 1588: Salone Sistino built by Fontana under Sixtus V

    primarym.museivaticani.va
    Cite
    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, built, 1588: Salone Sistino built by Fontana under Sixtus V
Source: https://m.museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/eventi_novita/iniziative/eventi/2013/MV_2_Museo_profano_biblioteca_apostolica.pdf
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#e-0w80d5e
    Dispute#

  2. 1798Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, lost, 1798: French occupation of Rome strips the library of nearly all its numismatic collection.

    primaryvaticanlibrary.va
    Cite
    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, lost, 1798: French occupation of Rome strips the library of nearly all its numismatic collection.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#e-1ohjxh7
    Dispute#

  3. 1943Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, closed, 1943: The library closes for about a year during the Second World War.

    primaryvaticanlibrary.va
    Cite
    Sistine Hall, Vatican Library, closed, 1943: The library closes for about a year during the Second World War.
Source: https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/en/the-library/history-of-BAV.html
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/vatican/#e-16c6nqj
    Dispute#

Photographs

The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, with its painted vault and pillars
The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, with its painted vault and pillars. Dnalor 01, CC BY-SA 3.0
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The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, with its painted vault and pillars. Photo: Dnalor 01, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rom,_Vatikanische_Museen,_Gro%C3%9Fer_Saal_der_Bibliothek,_Salone_Sistino_1.JPG
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Painted walls and cabinets in the gallery of the Vatican Library, Sistine Hall
Painted walls and cabinets in the gallery of the Vatican Library, Sistine Hall. Fabrizio Garrisi, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Painted walls and cabinets in the gallery of the Vatican Library, Sistine Hall. Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sala_Sistina_I_-_Musei_Vaticani,_galleria_della_Biblioteca_Apostolica_Vaticana_-FG3.jpg
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Frescoed vault of a room before the Sistine Hall, Vatican Library
Frescoed vault of a room before the Sistine Hall, Vatican Library. Fabrizio Garrisi, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Frescoed vault of a room before the Sistine Hall, Vatican Library. Photo: Fabrizio Garrisi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volta_di_uno_dei_vani_antistanti_il_Salone_Sistino_-FG2.jpg
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Cortile del Belvedere, Vatican City
Cortile del Belvedere, Vatican City. Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Cortile del Belvedere, Vatican City. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patio_del_Belvedere,_Ciudad_del_Vaticano,_2022-09-14,_DD_73-75_HDR.jpg
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The Cortile del Belvedere in Vatican City seen from above
The Cortile del Belvedere in Vatican City seen from above. Anil Öztas, CC BY 4.0
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The Cortile del Belvedere in Vatican City seen from above. Photo: Anil Öztas, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vatikanstadt_(VA),_Hof_des_Belvedere_--_2024_--_0560.jpg
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Cortile della Pigna in the Vatican Museums, with Pomodoro's Sfera con sfera
Cortile della Pigna in the Vatican Museums, with Pomodoro's Sfera con sfera. Wilfredor, CC0
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Cortile della Pigna in the Vatican Museums, with Pomodoro's Sfera con sfera. Photo: Wilfredor, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cortile_della_Pigna,_Vatican_Museums.jpg
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