THE MUSIC LIBRARY OF THE SAN PIETRO A MAJELLA CONSERVATORY IN THE PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF ITALY’S CULTURAL HERITAGE

Abstract

The relevance of the study lies in the need for a comprehensive examination of the activities of the Music Library of the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples (Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella) as a unique center for the preservation, research, and promotion of Italy’s cultural heritage. The Music Library represents one of the oldest and most valuable collections of musical sources in the country. Founded at the end of the 18th century, the institution integrates educational, research, library, and museum functions, having accumulated extensive archival, bibliographic, and museum collections. The study traces the history of the establishment of the Music Library and Archive, which preserve composers’ autographs, opera manuscripts, theoretical treatises, correspondence, and rare printed scores. It highlights the contribution of prominent Neapolitan musicologists and bibliographers – Saverio Mattei, Giuseppe Sigismondo, Francesco Florimo, among others – to the formation of scientifically valuable collections, cataloguing, and preservation of historical sources. The museum collections are characterized as reflecting the evolution of Naples’ musical life through portraits, musical instruments, documents, and composers’ personal archives. The research analyzes the current directions of activity of the Music Library and Museum, including the digitization of collections, creation of electronic catalogues, organization of exhibitions and concert programs, and promotion of musical heritage through international projects. A particularly illustrative example is the project “Naples, Naples. Of Lava, Porcelain and Music” (“Napoli, Napoli. Di lava, porcellana e musica”), implemented in collaboration with the San Carlo Theatre (Teatro di San Carlo) and the National Museum of Capodimonte (Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte). This initiative demonstrated a new model of inter-institutional cooperation and the integration of musical art into the broader system of cultural communication in Naples. It is emphasized that the activities of the Music Library of the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory constitute a model of synthesis between scientific, educational, and creative initiatives within the cultural space of contemporary Italy, combining tradition, innovation, and the diversity of artistic practices.