Vatican Secret Archives [Hardcover]

What a treasure! Although many have taken tours of the Vatican none have been admitted to the Secret Archives. In fact, on a recent tour we were told that no one was allowed access to this very private place holding documents dating back to the 8th century, and where areas are decorated with breathtakingly beautiful 16th and 17th century frescoes. Even Dan Brown was not allowed access.

However, according to THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES there are some public rooms open to academics. That aside, now for the first time in an amazing volume the world is privy to over 100 documents housed in this hitherto unavailable collection. All are beautifully photographed, here to study, peruse to our heart's content. The double page photos of the frescoes are eye popping while pictures of the reading rooms, laboratories, galleries, and the famed Tower Of Winds are revelatory.

The documents, which were chosen by a special commission, begin with "Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum" from the end of the 8th century. We continue through correspondence between Michelangelo and Paul III, see a letter written by Saint Teresa of Avila, and correspondence from Queen Elizabeth penned in 1579. We read documents from the heresy trial against Galileo, letters from Pius XI to Hitler, as well as a great deal more. In addition to stunning photography the documents are explicated by commentary from Vatican scholars.

This volume is so rich with history that it cannot be absorbed in a single sitting. THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES is a one-of-a-kind volume, standing alone in its presentation of previously unpublished documents accompanied by edifying comments. It is a book to treasure, to return to again and again.

My highest recommendation.

- Gail Cooke

In a foreword, Cardinal Farina who oversees the famed Vatican archives writes that the presentation of the documents in this book "create[s] a harmonious relation between knowledge and curiosity, on the one hand helping to discover the unknown and the surprise of a portrayed representation and on the other its luminosity and beauty." This is achieved by expert photographs of the varied documents going back over centuries against a black background. Each document sharply photographed against such a background stands out so that it seems almost tactile and its details of calligraphy, marginalia, decoration, seals, and when present, its color are readily gleaned. Lengthy annotations to each relate the background of its composition, its historical or religious significance often including quotes, and its material (e. g., vellum).

"An illustrated publication on the Vatican Secret Archives is not a novelty," the Cardinal also writes. Nonetheless, this publication stands out because of its incomparable photography emphasizing the uniqueness of each document and its authoritative, well-focused annotations. Readers coming new to the field of historical manuscripts and documents will understand the enthusiasm among collectors for not only their historical significance, but also their unique aesthetic qualities. Collectors of similar documents available through dealers or auctions can pore through the photographs for familiarity with touches such as calligraphic flourishes or stamps that increase the desirability of a document.

Front matter explains that the term "secret" for the Papal archives is related to the Latin derivation for "secretary" as someone in a position of trust often making up documents for a Pope, as with "secretarial documents". Though translated "secret" in English, the term in this sense implies "personal" or "private." While regarded as "private archives of the pope," most are made available to scholars with a good reason for seeing particular ones. Every year about 1,500 scholars do study documents in a reading room or internal library. The archives now have a laboratory for photography and digital reproduction, computer databases and operations, and administrative services connected to them.

This publication on the Vatican Secret Archives is an ideal gift for any book or ephemera lover. An art and coffee-table book offering moments of visual treats when opened to any page, it is also a work to be referred to again and again by the serious collector and the scholar for the knowledge to be gained.

The photography in this coffee table book is visually stunning. There are some obscure "arty" shots but on the whole, I would have purchased it for the photos alone. The text is very interesting and historically riviting. There are a few translation problems but this is a must have for history buffs. The sections on Henry VIII and the Reformation alone are worth the price. To see the actual documents is a gift. A treasure of a book.

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