Consisting of three basic cores (the
Antico Fondo Estense, the Raccolta Campori and the Carteggio Muratoriano),
the library contains more than 412,000 volumes and folders, with
1658 incunabola, about 16,000 XVI Century editions, valuable illuminated
manuscripts, many of them on permanent display, and a precious
collection of musical manuscripts. The library's treasures,
which indicate the wealth of the library of the Este dukes, are
the Borso d'Este Bible, produced in Ferrara in the
mid XV Century and with wonderful illuminations on its 1200 pages,
the Borso Missal, the Ercole I d'Este Breviary,
the De Sphaera, the Petites priéres de Renée
de France, the Mappamondo catalano and the Carta
del Cantino, a map produced between 1498 and 1502 which
already shows the shoreline of America.
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