First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva visited Vatican Apostolic Library

On October 17, First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Vatican Apostolic Library.

Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, Head of the Apostolic Library and Apostolic Archive, informed First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva about the historical manuscripts, as well as historical sources, restored and digitized within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Apostolic Archive.

It was mentioned that in 2013 and 2014, the restoration and digitization of 75 manuscripts of importance in the context of preservation of the history and culture of Azerbaijan, including the Turkic heritage, discovered in the Vatican Apostolic Library with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, have already been carried out.

The cooperation with the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive will provide Azerbaijani scientists and researchers with access to rare manuscripts, ancient maps, as well as valuable publications in various languages preserved there, thereby allowing to obtain new and important information about the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in the future.

It is worth noting that the Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the world’s oldest and richest libraries. Its foundation was officially laid by Pope Sixtus IV in 1475. This library houses more than 80 thousand manuscripts and over 1.6 million books related to history, religion, and culture. Its main collections consist of ancient manuscripts, incunabula (books dating back to the 15th century), maps, engravings, and written documents. The library is open for researchers and scholars interested in conducting scientific studies.

The Vatican Apostolic Archive is a sacred and scientifically valuable place where official documents, letters, and administrative correspondence collected by the Holy See over the centuries are preserved. This archive contains a rare and unique heritage in terms of both church and world history. This place, which has been known as the "Secret Vatican Archive" for many years, was renamed the Vatican Apostolic Archive by Pope Francis in 2019.

The Vatican Apostolic Archive, regarded as one of the world’s largest historical archives, contain documents dating from the 9th century to the present day. This archive is considered the memory of the Catholic Church. Its function is to ensure the preservation of the church’s historical decisions, positions and diplomatic relations for future generations. The archive is directly overseen by the Pope, managed by a prefect appointed by him.

Then, First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva presented a series of books and publications highlighting the history, nature and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan to the Apostolic Library.