Historical Library reconstruction

The owners of the Hospitality Complex “Monte Pacis”, Indra Ramanauskiene and Algirdas Ramanauskas, initiated a project for the restoration of the HISTORICAL PAŽAISLIS LIBRARY, in order to contribute to the advancement of Pažaislis history and the wealth of the Pažaislis monastery itself – the library was created with the purpose of passing it to Pažaislis Monastery.  The creation of the historical library is not only aimed at promoting the accessibility and reading of historical literature, enriching the present Pažaislis monastery, but also reminding about the XVth century effective foundation and patristic power. Kristina Sabaliauskaitė, the art historian – writer, dictated and restored the idea of ​​restoring the memory of the historic Pažaislis monastery library to remind and revive the history. The first books were donated to this library by the President of the Republic of Lithuania V. Adamkus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, other officials and private persons. At present, there are more than 100 valuable books in the library. Most are in Lithuanian, but there are publications in English, Russian, Polish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Belarussian, Latvian, even Lithuanian History in Hebrew. The library is open to all guests of the Hospitality Complex “Monte Pacis”.

 Historical Pažaislis Monastery Libraries:

The history of Pažaislis Monastery;

History of Kaunas;

The history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania;

Lithuanian history;

European history;

The history of the Order of Malta;

Cultural and heritage history;

Educational history publications;

Photographic or painting albums.

Historical novels.

 HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY OF THE PAŽAISLIS UNIVERSITY

In the Middle Ages monks were the most literate and most educated people, so they became scholars, thinkers, teachers and artists. Consequently, monasteries eventually became important centers of religious and social as well as cultural life: schools were founded here (there were educational and scientific fireplaces – expanded writing, morals), rewritten books, written chronicles, and created libraries. Pažaislis Cemetery Monastery is no exception. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, almost 200 years ago, the clergy monks who lived here also accumulated a large library. Unfortunately, the fires, wars and other events destroyed the library.

 There is not much data about Pažaislis Monastery Library. The most complete article is presented in Arvydas Pacevičius’ (Vilnius University) article “Pažaislis Kamalduliai Monastery Library: Development, Dispersal Roads and Heritage”.

“A possible item, the first books provided to the monastery with a monument in 1664, were funded by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania K.Z.Pacas. It is known that Pažaislis’ founder K.Z.Pacas did not only control the construction of the monastery rather thoroughly, but also the arrival of relics from Italy, the organization of a pharmacy and a library. (…) 1681 October 19 K..Z Pacas wrote a letter from the Warsaw Bishop’s Beloveder’s Palace to Pažaislis’ Giovanni Battista (…) points out that a certain amount of money (in other words, mentioning 100 gold coins) should be dedicated to the monastery’s library. (M.Paknys, History of Pažaislis Decorating and Building, Vilnius, 2013, p.230, 282).

The formation and growth of the Pažaislis library was determined not only by favorable circumstances: the novice of the second (after Krakow Bielian) throughout the province of Poland-Lithuania, which encouraged not only devotional lectures (prayers, ascetic works) but also theology, rhetoric, history, etc. Shops, emerge immediately after the establishment of the monastery; Active theology studies, preparing future priests (…); Educational activity in the parish school, where the camels in 1814 Taught “according to the 18th century Vilnius University Program “(J.Kurczewski, Biskuptsvo Wilenskie od dzego založenia až do dni obecnych, Wilno, 1912, p.297). The earliest mention of the library dates back to the 18th century. The middle of 1755 June 10 Lightning struck the monastery church; Fire broke out, destroyed the roof of the church and the adjoining library room (…). The library also suffered in 1812. War (…) 1832 Having taken the monastery by the Orthodox Church, a joint list of the (total) library was created, according to which the total number could have 812 titles and 1262 copies of books (V.Burkevičius, Pažaislis Kamalduliai … 1.12-13,17). From a theoretical point of view, the library of the 19th century. The visits were divided into the following divisions: theology (118 volumes), sermons (47), philosophy (15), various other books (280). (…) Among them, the monks had clandestine and, in general, the works of the Church and secular history (…) Medical (…), law (…), church law (…) works. Especially relevant to the development of the novice’s youth was encyclopedic works (…), rhetoric (…), classical literature (…) and even writing works of art (…). In the preparation of the monasticism (…) a great deal of attention was paid to the general humanities education, eloquence, language teaching, etc.

To summarize, we can say that (…) There was a kind of oasis of books in Pažaisly, in which monks took inspiration for prayer, spiritual contemplation, and preaching. The above-mentioned concern is witnessed by the spacious library for the accumulation of the room, equipped for convenient communication between the religious and the book. It is possible that there was a reading room for the community of monks with massive shelves and catalogs resembling wall posts.

Part of the books of Pažaislis library in 1833 Was sent to Belarus, the Polotsk Conservatory. There is evidence that a library was built in the Orthodox Uspensky Monastery, which was established until 1915, in the Pažaislis Cemetery. (…) Although monks in 1852 Did not deny that there are valuable ancient books in this library, some of Pažaislis’ Camaldolese collection (at least really manuscripts) could have been stored there until the First World War.

It is believed that at least part of the liturgical books were transmitted to the Catholic clergy, and later to the libraries of the Catholic institutions of Lithuania, and later also to the public scientific libraries.

The twentieth century Pr Part of the old manuscripts of Pažaislis was found in Georgia, and after the closure, a number of books have spread to current Polish libraries and other sets. “

Present

Historians have mentioned that they have succeeded in setting up 9 protected printed books in Lithuania (including two copies of the same work), which undoubtedly was in the old Pažaislis Camaldolese Library. Three of them are stored in the Kaunas County Public Library, two in the Lithuanian National M.Mažvydas Library, the Library of Kaunas University of Technology and the Vilnius University Library.