SCRINIVM®, a cultural enterprise siding the most important Vatican Institutions, committed to preserving and promoting the immense historic and cultural wealth of the Holy See.

In 1984, upon the opening of the underground store of the ancient manuscripts in the Apostolic Library, John Paul II launched a unique cultural project ever: "opening those inaccessible places where the human knowledge has been preserved for centuries".

This cultural project was immediately recognised as the greatest and most ambitious achievement of modern times and the leading Vatican authorities promoted it to fulfil their historic responsibility to conserve and spread a huge and unique cultural heritage. Most faithful reproductions of extraordinary manuscripts and documents have allowed the Vatican authorities to preserve such fragile and precious treasures from the wear of time and protect them from the several threats to their very existence.

The Vatican Institutions

Vatican Apostolic Library
The place elected by the Roman pontiffs to collect and conserve the knowledge of our civilisation. An impressive number of engravings, incunabula, ancient and modern books. Its remote and noble history and its extraordinary scenario make the Vatican Apostolic Library a unique place all the world over.

Vatican Secret Archives
The inaccessible and innermost heart of the Holy See, where the historic memory of mankind is treasured. The Secret Archives of the Vatican have been for centuries the Holy See depository of diplomatic papers, papal bulls, records about centuries of Vatican relations with the whole civilized world.

Vatican Museums
A world-wide famous place for the wonderful art-works which, throughout the centuries, the roman pontiffs have commissioned, collected and conserved. Every year, the Sistine Chapel frescoed by Michelangelo and the halls housing the largest collection of masterpieces of Renaissance art  are visited by over 3,000.000 art-lovers from every corner of the world.