In 1884, after arduous negotiations, the Spanish state acquired the library of the House of Osuna. The collection, constituted over generations and made up of more than 35.000 volumes between printed and manuscripts, it represented one of the country's most important bibliographic heritages. However, the vagaries and expenses of the twelfth Duke of Osuna, Mariano Téllez Girón, they set off the alarms: the books ran the risk of being dispersed after his death in 1882. Finally, thanks to an economic agreement with his widow, Maria Eleanor of Salm-Salm, these were bought by the Ministry of Public Works and distributed mainly between the National Library of Spain and the libraries of the Senate and Congress. Besides, in between 1888 i 1892, the rest of the books were distributed among a dozen university libraries, among which, that of the University of Valencia.
This exhibition traces the journey of this collection until its arrival at the Historical Library of the University of Valencia and recognizes both the value of the preserved works and the task of locating and classifying specimens by the staff of the institution over the years. Dukes, duquesses, librarians, binders and the volumes themselves will guide the visitor on a journey on two levels: that of the protagonists who built and preserved a public consultation library between the 18th and 19th centuries, and that of the books that, as objects, they currently constitute a historical witness, cultural and heritage of the House of Osuna.
