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

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

As reported by BAKU.WS, the head of the Apostolic Library and Apostolic Archive, Archbishop Monsignor Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, informed First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva about historical manuscripts, as well as historical sources that have been restored and digitized under the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Apostolic Archive.

It was brought to attention that in 2013 and 2014, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the restoration and digitization of 75 manuscripts discovered in the Vatican Apostolic Library, which are significant in the context of Azerbaijan's history and culture, including the preservation of Turkic language heritage, had already been carried out.

It was noted that cooperation with the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive will provide Azerbaijani scholars and researchers with access to rare manuscripts, ancient maps, and rare editions in various languages stored here. It was emphasized that this will also create conditions for obtaining new and important information about the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in the future.

Recall that the Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the oldest and richest libraries in the world. It was officially founded in 1475 by Pope Sixtus IV. The library houses more than 80 thousand manuscripts and over 1.6 million books on history, religion, and culture. Its main collections consist of ancient manuscripts, incunabula (books published in Europe from the beginning of printing until January 1, 1501), maps, engravings, and written documents. The library is open for scientific research by researchers and scholars.

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 stored. This archive contains rare and unique heritage of both church and world history. Known for many years as the "Secret Vatican Archive," it was renamed in 2019 by Pope Francis to the Vatican Apostolic Archive.

The Vatican Apostolic Archive, considered one of the largest historical archives in the world, contains 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 historical decisions, positions, and diplomatic correspondence of the church for future generations. The archive reports directly to the Pope and is managed by a prefect appointed by him.

In conclusion, the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, presented several books and publications dedicated to the history, nature, and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan as a gift to the Apostolic Library.

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