Currently, the Fesch Library’s heritage holdings are divided into the old collections, the legal deposit, and the contemporary study holdings.
The old collection consists of a selection of 12,627 books sent by Lucien Bonaparte and André-François Miot to Ajaccio, and 8,091 books bequeathed by Cardinal Fesch. 511 books from Corsican convents complete this fund.
The old fund has about 20,000 book including:
- 29 incunabular,
- 218 manuscripts written between the 16th and 20th centuries,
- 67 ancient books on the history of Corsica,
It is complemented by a very rich and encyclopedic nineteenth century collection that includes a remarkable collection on medicine.
The abbot and philologist Marc-Aurèle Marchi has bequeathed 1,250 books from his personal collection. A philosophy professor in Milan, he built a library focused on literature, history, science and travel.
Frédéric Bourgeois de Mercey was director of fine arts at the Second Empire. A close friend of Ms. Bruine, they made a joint donation of nearly 1,500 pounds in 1887. With a focus on medicine, literature, the arts and history, their library is remarkable for the beauty of its editions.
Roland Bonaparte prince geographer, lover of botany and anthropology, grandson of Lucien Bonaparte, donated 5,000 volumes to the Ajaccio library in 1888. More than 2,000 books deal with medicine, the others talk about scientific travel and literature.
The 19th century fund was largely enriched by the donations and legacies of Corsican scholars. They include Louis Campi, tax collector for the city of Ajaccio. Passionate about the history of Corsica, he built a collection of ancient books about the island’s history. He is also the author of several treatises on the subject. The books that belonged to him are easily identifiable thanks to the stamp affixed at the reception of the bequest on May 10, 1905.
The contemporary collection kept in the library is composed of:
- the Bonaparte fund, which is worth over 3,000 books. Incorporated in the 19th century, it focuses on the figures of Napoleon 1st and his family. It was greatly enriched in the 20th century and continues to be regularly expanded through book acquisitions.
- the legal deposit for the printer. The Fesch library has been associated with the BnF in the context of legal deposit since 2007. She has to collect all printed publications on the island for conservation and study.
- a documentary collection that can be consulted freely and free of charge to users on your web portal
