Vatican Library
Pope Sixtus V commissioned the architect Domenico Fontana in 1587 to build a new, larger library, which stands today. The top floor of the building is occupied by the Sistine Hall, which is now part of the Vatican Museums. The richly frescoed hallway is lined with cabinets that for centuries held the library’s manuscripts, which are now housed in a separate but neighboring place in the Secret Vatican Archives, founded under Pope Paul V (1605-1621).
Vatican Library
Pope Sixtus V commissioned the architect Domenico Fontana in 1587 to build a new, larger library, which stands today. The top floor of the building is occupied by the Sistine Hall, which is now part of the Vatican Museums. The richly frescoed hallway is lined with cabinets that for centuries held the library’s manuscripts, which are now housed in a separate but neighboring place in the Secret Vatican Archives, founded under Pope Paul V (1605-1621).