The most distinguished old works from the bibliographic collection of the University of Barcelona, collected in a book

This trilingual and profusely illustrated work, published by Publications and Editions of the University of Barcelona, includes a commented selection of sixty-five emblematic works from the Rare Book and Manuscript CRAI Library, a glimpse of its excellent bibliographic and historical heritage. 

The value of some of these works is incalculable, for their age, singularity and material originality (content, bindings and images) as well as for the lack of existing copies. These books include many diverse themes, such as gastronomy, geography, traveling, natural sciences, botany or nursery. We can find Llibre dels feyts by James I, Discours de la méthode by René Descartes, or Llibre de Sent Soví, Els cent noms de Déu or Ars brevis by Ramon Llull, and Mishneh Torah by Maimonides. The notes are by expert professors from different faculties and departments, researchers from research centers from other countries and distinguished study practitioners, who made a synthesis of their knowledge aiming to disseminate it. 

This is a selection of sixty-five works, made up by nineteen manuscripts, sixteen incunabula and thirty printed leaflets. Most of the manuscripts were chosen for their beauty, since lots of them are illuminated; others create interest for their links with the Catalan culture, and lots of them have these two values. The book is structured in three main parts: manuscripts, incunabula and printed leaflets, in chronological order. Inside every commented book there is, firstly, the citation (author, title, imprint and format/measurements); secondly there are technical data which include a small register, material description -supporting material, type of writing or typography and illustrations-, the history of the copy, where are the old owners mentioned, bindings, exhibitions where the book has been shown, and the available digital copies (that can be looked up at the Digital Heritage Library of the UB, and Virtual Library Miguel Cervantes); after the technical part, there is a note by a professor, with reference bibliography. Some relevant images have been taken from each book to illustrate it. The notes have also been edited in English and Spanish versions.

The publication of Els tresors de la Universitat de Barcelona wants to promote this important heritage that represents a valuable testimony of our history, emphasized by the fact that it comes from specific libraries and owners, proof of the cultural history of a certain time and place, which allow to make a cartography of reading in our country during the modern age.

This work, despite having an intrinsic interest for the shown pieces, aims to be a claim to promote this important collection from the ancient collections of the Library of the UB. What today is the Rare Book and Manuscript CRAI Library was once, when restoring the University of Barcelona, the starting point of a new library, since the old one belonging to the old university founded in 1450 and removed in 1714 left no trace. The current library was created as a consequence of Mendizabal expropriation, the confiscation of church goods to give it to the State. Therefore, the collection of the twenty-three monasteries and religious schools in Barcelona, Gràcia, Sarrià, Carthusian monasteries of Montalegre, Benedictines of Sant Benet de Bages and Jesuits and Capuchins in Manresa, were transferred to create what was named in 1874 the Public Library of the Province of Barcelona. In 1881, the library was located at the new building of the University of Barcelona, designed by the architect Elies Rogent. Apart from the means coming from the expropriation, which are the majority, at the beginning there were also resources coming from the old University of Cervera, seen as appropriate for higher studies, around 1.600 volumes in particular, among which there were seventy-six manuscripts and five incunabula.

This work has been carefully edited and coordinated by Neus Verger, Head of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The project has been promoted by Carina Rey, rectorʼs delegate as Commissioner for Information and Documentation Systems, and Adelaida Ferrer, Director of CRAI. Ignasi Baiges, Xavier Espluga, Blanca Garí, Carina Rey, Pedro Rueda and Neus Verger have managed the texts with the authors. This work also counts with the collaboration of the Language Services and Centre de Digitalització of the University of Barcelona.