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13 September 2010
Last updated at
15:31
In pictures: Vatican Library reopens after restoration
The Vatican Library, one of the oldest libraries in the world, is to reopen to scholars next week after a three-year restoration.
Located inside the Vatican, the library houses more than 75,000 manuscripts and the Codex B, the oldest known complete Bible, as well as collections of coins, medals, prints and engravings.
The Vatican Library was started by Pope Nicholas V in the 1450s with an initial 350 Latin manuscripts.
By the time Nicholas V died, the collection held 1,500 codices and was the largest in Europe.
Scholars can consult 1.1 million books, which, like the old manuscripts, have been fitted with microchips to help track their location within the library.
Precious manuscripts are kept in a bomb-proof bunker before being ferried to a climate-controlled reading room, where no pens, food or liquids are allowed.
Some 4,000 to 5,000 scholars are given permission to conduct research in the library every year. Access is usually restricted to academics conducting post-graduate level research.
The restoration, which cost 9m Euros, included the installation of a state-of-the-art security system and wi-fi internet connection.
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