Livia Simoni library

At the second floor is the museum library. When it opened, in the same year as the museum itself, the library of the Museo Teatrale alla Scala boasted some 10,000
volumes. In the early Fifties, the collection was enhanced with a further 54,000 volumes thanks to the legacy of Renato Simoni. In his will, he also stipulated that the collection should take the name of his mother, and today, with almost 150,000 books, it is known as the “Livia Simoni” library.
The oldest volume was printed in Venice by Lazzaro Soardo in 1511 and contains the comedies of Plautus.
There are 363 books dating to the 16th century, and some of them are fine examples of rare editions, while there are more than 400 books published in the 17th century. However, the collection of volumes from the following centuries is even larger and more remarkable.
The library is annexed to the archives which comprise 2,255 sketches, 6,959 fashion plates, 3,000 theatre posters, 6,000 librettos, 10,300 signed letters of actors, directors, composers and singers, 30 manuscripts of complete works, including Verdi’s Requiem and Rossini’s Tancredi, 300 single pieces by Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Puccini, Beethoven, Mozart, 7,000 photographs and 10,000
engravings.