Special Collections

Anna Maria Brizio taught Medieval and Modern Art History at the University of Milan from 1957 to 1977. Her books and personal archive, donated at the end of her career, form a cornerstone of the library’s holdings.

The Library holds several thousand auction catalogues, acquired through various donations over the years. The most represented auction houses include Christie’s (3,002 items), Finarte (1,416 items), Sotheby’s (861 items), and Semenzato (429 items).
 

In 2015, Scotti Tosini, Professor at the Polytechnic of Milan, donated a book collection of 566 volumes on urban history and Italian painting from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a particular focus on Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo and Divisionism.

Benvenuto Maria Disertori (Trento 1887–Milan 1969) was an Italian musicologist and engraver. In 1969, the University acquired his musicological library, which consists of nearly 1,000 items, including monographs, journals, and scores. Disertori was also a collector of antique musical instruments, now housed in the Museum of Musical Instruments at the Sforza Castle and the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. 

The library of Zeno Birolli, art historian and professor at Brera, reflects his research interests in contemporary art. Donated in 2015, it complements an earlier collection belonging to his family.

This collection consists of 322 musical scores of instrumental and vocal music from the 19th and 20th centuries, including rare editions. It was donated in 2021 by the library of Villa Valvitiano in Perugia, which had been the Buitoni family residence since the 1950s.

In 2012, Carlo Carotti, a film enthusiast and scholar of contemporary history, entrusted the Library with his collection of approximately 3,000 volumes and serials on cinema, radio, and television, under a long-term loan agreement.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the publishing house Centro Di was a key reference point for the production of innovative catalogues and the dissemination of art and artist books. In 2005, the University acquired approximately 22,000 volumes.
 

The Charta Collection contains the complete catalogue of Charta, an independent publishing house, donated in 2013 by its founder Giuseppe Liverani. The publications focus on contemporary artists, photographers, architects, and designers.

Darko R. Suvin, a university professor, literary and theatre critic, poet, and writer, donated his extensive and varied library collection to the University in 2011.

The Library houses approximately 2,000 volumes, primarily on theatre studies.

Eugenio Gara was a music critic, particularly renowned for his studies on vocal interpretation and the history of Italian opera. His collection, donated in 2000, comprises nearly 3,000 volumes on theatre and music history, critical studies, and musical scores.

Degrada, Professor of Music History at the University of Milan, donated part of his private library to the institution. The collection comprises 5,363 items, including essays and treatises, monographs on individual composers, vinyl records, and musical scores.

In 2019, the Ishibashi Foundation donated approximately 500 volumes to the Library, focusing on Japanese painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Many of these are valuable editions, richly illustrated and often difficult to obtain even in Japan.

Pestalozza contributed as a music critic to daily newspapers and specialist journals. A university lecturer and essayist, he was also an influential promoter in the field of music. The collection includes printed scores and essays on music history and criticism

Marco Rosci was a professor of Modern Art History in Milan, where he graduated under the guidance of Anna Maria Brizio, and later in Turin. His library reflects his field of study: Piedmontese and Lombard art from the modern and contemporary eras.

Paolo D’Ancona, a student of Adolfo Venturi, devoted much of his research to Italian manuscript illumination. From 1907, he taught at the Accademia Scientifico-Letteraria di Milano. His collection became one of the founding cores of the Library.

In 2006, Pierluigi De Vecchi, Professor of Modern Art History at the University of Milan, donated part of his library, which includes exhibition and museum catalogues, monographs on artists, and studies ranging from the Middle Ages to contemporary art.

The collection consists of 347 volumes, primarily exhibition catalogues, donated by the library of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in 1989 and 2012.

Renato Caccamo, judge at the Milan Court of Appeal, was also a passionate music enthusiast. The collection includes musical scores, monographs, and manuscripts, among which are rare French editions.

In 2008, Riccardo Allorto (Mosso Santa Maria 1921–Milan 2015) donated part of his personal library to the University. A graduate in piano and choral conducting, with a degree in Music History, Allorto dedicated his career primarily to music education. The Allorto Collection  includes a diverse range of items, such as monographs, scores, and vinyl records.