Mantua Teresiana Library Editorial Image

The Teresiana Library was founded by Maria Theresa as part of a larger series of education reforms throughout Mantua and Lombardo-Veneto. It opened to the public on March 30, 1780. The library collection began with the building housing in Mantua the former Jesuit College, a complex which took up an entire block. After the suppression of this order in 1773, its private collection meant for the teachers and students was repurposed into a public library, the Imperial Regia Biblioteca. It was housed two library rooms, designed by architect Paolo Pozzo in 1780, which would be known as the Teresian rooms. When Mantua joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1866, The Teresiana Library became a government library. It became a municipal library in 1881. It contained valuable works from many private monastic libraries.