La Bibbia di Borso d'Este a Roma. Un capolavoro per il Giubileo (The Borso d'Este Bible in Rome: A Jubilee Masterpiece)

From November 14, 2025, to January 16, 2026, the Chapter Hall of the Senate of the Republic in Piazza della Minerva will host the Borso d'Este Bible, one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Renaissance art.

Created between 1455 and 1461 by the calligrapher Pietro Paolo Marone and the miniaturists Taddeo Crivelli and Franco dei Russi, the work represents one of the greatest expressions of the art of miniature, capable of extraordinary harmony between ornamental refinement, artistic expertise, and religious inspiration. The display of the Bible is exceptional, as the manuscript is preserved in the Estense Library in Modena and is only shown to the public on very rare occasions.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors also have access to touchscreens to consult the digital version of the Bible, with high-resolution images. The miniatures show the influence of the major Ferrarese painters, including Cosmè Tura, Michele Pannonio, and Francesco del Cossa.

The work's return to the Senate Library also represents a symbolic moment: it was precisely at the Palazzo della Minerva that, in 1923, Giovanni Treccani, who saved the work from dispersion, met with Minister Giovanni Gentile and was convinced by him to purchase and then formally donate, in the same year, the Borso d'Este Bible.

The exhibition, part of the Jubilee program of activities, is promoted by the Senate of the Republic, in collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Culture, the Gallerie Estensi, the Extraordinary Government Commissioner for the Jubilee, and the Treccani Encyclopedia Institute.

Photo: official poster of the event