Spanish Collections in Geneva Libraries

Masterpieces, Ephemeral Literature, Secret Stories, and Marvelous Plants

Abstract

In this paper, we consider several libraries in Geneva that house Spanish-language originals of very different types. The Bibliothèque de l’Université, the Bibliothèque de Genève, the Martin Bodmer Foundation Library, and the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève all enclose scarcely known but precious manuscripts and printed material, ranging from first-rate literary works from the Middle and Golden Age to fragile sheets from the 17th through 19th centuries, as well as manuscripts on different subjects and even original aquarelles from a famous botanical expedition at the end of the 18th century. We intend to summarize these works in a brief account, showing the wealth of material contained in the city’s various libraries, and to emphasize the work researchers undertake to bring them to light.