The Library of Mavrocordatos Family

Abstract

This article is about the library set up by the Mavrocordatos family. It refers to all three of its branches: Constantinople, Chios and Văcăreşti, but focuses especially on the latter. The library in the monastery near Bucharest was one of the most complete of its days, and was well known even in the West. Some of its content is presented in my text, including its various catalogues; the scholars who worked on these compilations will also be mentioned. A project similar in its scope – the reconstitution of a library – has accomplished in the library of Peter Mohyla in Kiev.