In 1520, as the Lutheran tide swept Germany and elsewhere, the increased number of principal Augustinian libraries in Italy were located at Treviso, Venice, Padua, Cremona, Milan, Bolonga, Florence, Siena and two in Rome at S. Maria del Popolo and Sant'Agostino.
Many of these libraries, however, were either destroyed or lost to the Order in the Napoleonic era or in the Italian nationalistic aftermath.
In France the best Augustinian libraries were at the studium generale in Paris, Avignon, Toulouse and Bourdeaux. These libraries were lost to the Order through the French Revolution.
The best in Spain and Portugal, although generally not as large as those in Italy, were located at Zaragoza, Valencia, Seville, Salamanca and Coimbra. These libraries were lost through warfare in later centuries.
The library built in 1575 by Alonso de la Vera Cruz O.S.A. at the Colegio San Pablo in Mexico was one of the most outstanding and valuable in Mexico. This library was lost to the Order during the Mexican revolution.
Through the disasterous consequences of forces external to the Order, these libraries were lost to the Order.
This does not negate, however, that most Augustinians consciously attempted to imitate the example of Augustine of Hippo regarding the care for libraries.
Possidius, Augustine's friend and biographer, wrote that Augustine "always insisted that libraries and manuscripts be kept carefully for posterity," and that he left for future generations "libraries containing books and tracts written by himself and by other holy persons."
ID0220
|
