temporary exhibition

The Vatican library holds a large and collection of rare books without parallel elsewhere in the world.
Thirteen years ago, in 2002, the Printing Museum, Tokyo held a similar exhibition entitled The Invention of Books — An Exhibition of Manuscripts and Incunabula in the Vatican library. This earlier exhibit traced the turning point and transition from handwritten manuscripts to printed books by presenting manuscripts variously linked to the Bible alongside the first books produced in letterpress printing.
The keywords for the upcoming exhibition are "Books" and "the Renaissance." Twenty-one medieval manuscripts, incunabula, maps, and letters owned by Vatican library will be presented together with 48 books owned by the Printing Museum, Tokyo and several domestic institutions. Visitors will experience the fascination of books as living testaments to the Renaissance spirit.