The new National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria Library was inaugurated on December 13th, 2017. Its history and origin are closely linked to the Civic Museum which was established in 1882, placed at the time in the rooms on the ground floor of the Archbishop’s Palace in Reggio Calabria.

At first there was a small collection of books, hereditary legacies and donations; after, in 1932, when the National Museum had been constructed in its current location, the successive Superintendents increased the books on classical archaeology in collaboration with the University Library of Messina.

The Library was in use by scholars and internal staff. It has about 25,000 volumes dedicated to: ethnology, history of religions, mythology, excavation technique, restoration, subsidiary sciences, cultural heritage, ceramics, Greek and Latin classics, corpus vasorum antiquorum, ancient architecture and topography, epigraphy, Greek and Roman institutions, philology, literature, Greek and Latin philosophy, Greece and the Mediterranean East, ancient history, Italy and the Roman West, history of medieval and modern art, bibliographies, linguistics glottology, Magna Graecia, numismatics and metrology, propedeutics, general works, iconography, prehistory , monographs and periodicals on painting and mosaic, Christian and medieval archaeology.

Rare and ancient books: sculpture, encyclopedias and dictionaries of antiquities, minor arts, Egypt and the Orient, linguistic dictionaries, conference proceedings and publications.

Inside there is also the Barresi fund, consisting of 3,190 volumes, including Greek and Latin classics and precious volumes, some of which are unique copies in southern Italy.

The reading room is open to the public from Tuesday to Friday, from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm.