BOOKS PUBLISHED IN 16th CENTURY
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In March and April 2002 exhibition of old, exceptionally valuable books from museum library, is held in Home museum in Rovinj
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In March and April 2002 exhibition of old, exceptionally valuable books from museum library, is held in Home museum in Rovinj. These volumes, collected with great effort and persistence by historian and canon from Barban, Petar Stanković (1771-1852), who later donated them to Rovinj, were published in 16th century in publishing centres throughout Europe (Lyon, Venice, Basel, Augsburg and Paris).
The collection, named after its donor - Stancoviciana, started with 2896 items Petar Stanković donated, and grew during the years so today it counts 7000 books.
A part of that rich museum collection Stancoviciana is presented to the audience for the first time with this exhibition, arousing interest and enthusiasm. Exhibition gives citizens, as well as visitors and tourists, perspective to past centuries through material evidence (books).
It is worth saying that book collection from museum library contains items of various subjects such as philosophy, law, architecture and many others.
It is also, valuable to notice that the oldest book in collection "De evangelica praeparatione" was published in long-gone 1501. For the sake of historical value of those books let us remember the long evolution of written word that went on for 5000 years, from Sumerian and Mesopotamian clay tablets, Egyptian papyrus, mediaeval codes to Guttenberg's discovery. Valuable items exhibited in Rovinj are product of that continuity in written word, it notices human existence in certain time and space and gives meaning to it.
Special value of this interesting exhibition is also in a fact that Petar Stanković gave all this treasure as a gift to our town, Rovinj.
