COSENZA – Il Mayor Franz Caruso, together with the Prefect of Cosenza, Vittoria Ciaramella, at the invitation of the President of the Civic Library and of theCosentina Academy, prof. Antonio d’Elia, visited the cultural institution in Piazza XV Marzo this morning. President d’Elia showed the great heritage of the Library which boasts more than ten linear kilometers of books: the incunabula, the precious chorales and the parchments. Both the Mayor and the Prefect expressed satisfaction with the impressive book heritage of the cultural institution which preserves the memory of the city and with the work of the president d’Elia and the enormous effort in managing the two Bruzi institutions: the Academy and the Library. President d’Elia thanked the Mayor and the Prefect, underlining that he is constantly involved in cataloging the texts under the supervision of the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendency of Calabria. The meeting was also attended by the members of the board of directors of the Cosentina Academy, professor Gabriella de Falco and the lawyer Anita Frugiuele, the lawyer Antonio Baffa, representing the members, the director of the National Library, doctor Adele Bonofiglio, and the doctor Gemma Anais Principe, of the Archival Superintendence of Calabria.
“As we have seen today, physically and visually, our Library – underlined Mayor Franz Caruso – has a heritage of inestimable value which is not only cultural, but also historical and economic. I therefore thank the President of the Cosenza Academy and the Civic Library Antonio D’Elia for the sensitivity shown in extending today’s invitation to me and for the commitment and tenacity with which he takes care of the fate of both the Library and the Academy. I am obliged to clarify – added Franz Caruso – that Professor D’Elia has, unfortunately, inherited the problems that have troubled the Civic Library for some time and when problems are inherited it becomes more difficult to face and solve them. From the moment of my inauguration – remarked Franz Caruso – I have assured my commitment and that of the entire municipal administration, to seek every economic/financial possibility to worthily support this garrison of culture which I recognize as a heritage of enormous value for our community, to be protected and further enhanced.
It had been almost 10 years – the Mayor recalled – that the Municipality had not paid the quota (useful for the maintenance of the Civic Library) to which it is required by Statute, since the Library is a moral body and therefore an autonomous Institute which is supported by the contribution of the Municipality and Province who participate in the Board of Directors that governs it. Being the Municipality a founding member, together with the Province, the first thing I was able to do, despite the collapse, was to recognize the annual fee. In two years we have therefore disbursed the sum of 100 thousand euros (40 euros last year and 60 thousand this year)“. Mayor Franz Caruso was clear: “a commitment that I will guarantee as long as I am at the helm of the city. It is clear that we will also look for more stable solutions.
We have also implemented a different action which could lead to a modification of the “corporate” composition of the Library, modifying the Statute and then giving rise to a necessary transition to a new management with the Ministry of Culture, also possibly giving access to other cultural foundations in the city which also have different economic resources and which could come in and support a truly difficult situation”.
President d’Elia, who showed the precious and rare parchments, choirs, stalls, in the ancient Torre Libraria of Santa Chiara, thanked not only those present, but also Doctors Passarelli, Barrera, Mallamaci and Aurino of the Ministry, also recalling that, during Annalaura Orrico’s undersecretariat, the restoration of the choirs was carried out. “The book heritage – remarked d’Elia – will have to remain in Cosenza, even if it were to pass to the State or to a mixed public-private government”. In the meantime, the texts will be taken, for the work of the CIS, to the State Archives, the National Library and to warehouses suitable to contain them, always under the supervision of the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendency, before returning to the Academy.” Soon – finally announced d’Elia – a public meeting will be convened by the Academy to inform the city of Cosenza about the state of the art of the Library”.
