TOWN LIBRARY
Within the ancient walls of the former Franciscan Convent which now houses the Council offices, is a place where time seems to stand still: the Biblioteca Comunale Beniamino D’Amato. Once inside, you will be enveloped by a silence rich in history, only interrupted by the turning of pages and footsteps passing between the shelves which house 35,000 volumes. The name of the library tells the story of an academic and librarian born in this town in 1912, Beniamino d’Amato. Having obtained degrees in law and literature, he worked in some of the most important libraries in Italy, from Bologna to Florence, becoming superintendent in Bari in 1944, the head of conservation of books and manuscripts. He never stopped working: D’Amato dedicated his life to culture, libraries and local history and on his death, the town wished to pay him homage, opening a library named after him in 1956.
Every shelf is a journey: rare editions from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, periodicals and manuscripts, as well as a section dedicated to local literature which includes the Fondo Beniamino D’Amato, an archive of the history of Puglia, full of stories and memories of times gone by. The library is not just the keeper of ancient papers however; modernity and innovation blend with tradition, offering a media library for digital information, multimedia labs to explore restored and digitalized volumes, rooms to stimulate the curiosity of children and teens and areas with audiobooks for the visually impaired. Every book, every manuscript, every multimedia space is a bridge between the past and the future. The Beniamino D’Amato library is the living memory of a town which proudly preserves its history and identity.