Complesso monumentale e Biblioteca dei Girolamini
18th-century complex with the church-museum, cloisters and picture gallery in the historic centre of Naples, and the city’s oldest public library, opened in 1586.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Biblioteca dei Girolamini, run by the Oratorian fathers, was opened to the public in 1586 and is considered the oldest public library in Naples and the second in Italy after the Malatestiana in Cesena. Its collections include philosophy, theology, Church history, sacred music and European history, as well as manuscripts and an archive that also holds musical documents and documents of the Oratory.
The library is part of the complex of the Girolamini church: the building was redesigned in the 18th century by Arcangelo Guglielmelli and completed by his son in 1727, with frescoes by Pietro Bardellino. The complex includes the cloisters and the Sala Giambattista Vico, named after the philosopher who frequented the place. The sacristy, dating from after 1612, has walnut cupboards, gilded doors and marble, and was transformed under Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini; the vault is decorated with the Gloria di san Filippo (Glory of Saint Philip). In the Ruffo chapel there is a Natività (Nativity) by Pomarancio.
After the earthquake of 1980 the premises were used to house displaced people; years of neglect followed, and the library remained closed for a long time. In 2012 the complex was seized by the carabinieri following the theft of volumes. From 2017 management passed to the Direzione regionale Musei Campania of the Ministry of Culture, which in 2020 obtained special autonomy as an institute of national importance; after restoration the complex reopened to the public in 2022.
Highlights
- Library opened in 1586, the oldest public library in Naples
- Girolamini church redesigned by Arcangelo Guglielmelli, with frescoes by Pietro Bardellino
- Sacristy with walnut cupboards and a vault with the Gloria di san Filippo
- Nativity by Pomarancio in the Ruffo chapel
- Cloisters and Sala Giambattista Vico
- Picture gallery and archive with musical and Oratory documents
- Founded
- 1586
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Campania
- Visitors per year
- approx. 2,466
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2categories provided for by ministerial regulations |
| Library and historic rooms (timed entry, 40 people every 40 minutes) | €10Reduced €2 |
| Annual pass for the Church-Museum (valid 365 days from first entry) | €10Unlimited admission |
Free admission: Church-Museum free on the first Sunday of the month (#domenicalmuseo) and on national public holidays; on those days the library is closed to the public.
Tickets are bought on museiitaliani.it, with the Musei Italiani app or at the digital kiosks on site, where cash is not accepted. Free admission follows ministerial regulations. The listing gives the price for admission to the Church-Museum alone as €5 full price and €2 reduced.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
Entrances: Church-Museum from Piazza dei Girolamini (Via dei Tribunali); Library and historic rooms from Via Duomo 114; special visits to the Sacristy from Via Duomo 142.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (IT, EN) |
| Good to know | Educational panels with QR codes give access to English translations and to audio guides in Italian and English. Special guided tours, for example of the Sacristy (entrance from Via Duomo 142), are offered on specific dates with a ticket and a limited number of participants. Concerts in the series “Tempio Armonico” require a Church-Museum ticket, with no booking and unnumbered seats. |
