The Library holds a substantial number of ex libris, acquired through donations and purchases, among which many are by Michel Fingesten (Butzkowitz, 18 April 1884 – Cerisano, 8 October 1943).
Fingesten, a painter and engraver of Czech origin and Jewish heritage, is considered one of the greatest ex libris artists of the twentieth century. On 9 October 1940 he was arrested and interned as a foreign national in the camp of Civitella del Tronto and subsequently in Ferramonti. He was also accused by the Nazis of producing so-called degenerate art.
The exhibition at the Riccardiana Library, inaugurated on 27 January on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, is open to visitors until 31 March 2026. It is linked to a similar exhibition held at the National Central Library of Florence; both exhibitions were made possible thanks to the generosity of the same collector.
The exhibition may be visited free of charge during the Library’s opening hours:
-
Monday and Thursday: 8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
-
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
