Biblioteca Classense

The Biblioteca Classense is Ravenna's civic library and an Italian national monument, housed in a 17th- and 18th-century former Camaldolese monastery. Its collection was assembled over generations by the monks of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, until Napoleon's dissolution of religious institutions transferred the holdings into municipal custody in 1803. The library now holds around 800,000 volumes, including roughly 750 codices dating back to the 10th century, over 800 incunabula, and more than 8,000 cinquecentine — printed books of the 16th century. The Baroque reading halls retain the atmosphere of a monastic scriptorium and are worth visiting in their own right. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 09:00–19:00, and Sunday to Monday 09:00–14:00.