Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts and Crafts

Denis Diderot et Jean Baptiste d’Alembert

In 1995 the Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello took over management of the library and in 1998 it was opened to the public. It houses several 17th century collections made by descendants of the noble family line of the Marquis Bourbon del Monte di Sorbello. Among the various rare volumes in the library this original third edition of the noteworthy Encyclopédie française (Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers) by Denis Diderot and Jean Baptiste d’Alembert stands out. It was printed in Livrono between 1770 and 1775 in sixteen volumes with eleven volumes of plates and supplements.

The work was approved by the Catholic church and, thus protected from censure and repetitive attacks by clergy, is considered the first true encyclopaedia. Completed in 1766 and named a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts it was the greatest cultural artefact of the Enlightenment; in line with deterministic philosophy, the authors set out to make a general and methodical inventory of all the world’s knowledge. The frontispiece of this edition features a dedication by Leopoldo di Lorena, Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790.