Dear Cecilia,
If Jussi Hanska is anywhere on the list, he's the best expert, but I'll try
to dredge up my memories of last summer. First, you need a letter of
introduction and - I think - a couple of photographs. Secondly, once you've
gotten your card and have been admitted, you will find out that nobody
outside the secretariat speaks anything but Italian, so I hope yours is
good. Third, this place undoubtedly beats the Bibliotheque Nationale as far
as unhelpfulness and unpleasantness go. The nicest place in the Vaticana is
the bar, undoubtedly, where you can have lunch and coffee. As for mss. - I
rather think you can get up to five a day, three in the morning and two in
the afternoon, but you must order all of them in the morning. This might be
inaccurate, as the early printed books room has other rules entirely.
On the good side, they do have outlets for computers (even adapters to lend
those with problematic plugs), and they have the manuscript collection, of
course!
Wishing you luck,
Esther
Esther Cohen
Professor of Medieval History
Department of History
Hebrew University
Jerusalem, Israel
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