The Catalogue of the Library of Duke Alexander Louis Radziwiłł in Nesvizh (1651)

A rare surviving catalogue of the Radziwiłł family's Nesvizh library, compiled in 1651 under Duke Alexander Louis Radziwiłł, offers unprecedented insight into a Baroque-era European collection in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The manuscript, penned by John Hanowicz and preserved in Kórnicka Library, reveals approximately 15,000 volumes—including manuscripts, maps, and landed estate documents—predating its confiscation by Empress Catherine II in 1772. Dual subject and alphabetical classifications highlight its systematic organization, though gaps in publication details hinder precise book identification. The catalogue also documents precious items like the libretto for Il ratto di Helena, one of Europe's earliest operas, underscoring the Radziwiłłs' role as patrons of fine arts. This study reconstructs a lost cultural treasure, bridging scholarly interest in book history and the broader significance of magnate libraries during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Witkowski, R. (2012). The Catalogue of the Library of Duke Alexander Louis Radziwiłł in Nesvizh (1651). Bibliotheca Lituana, 2, 329–427. https://doi.org/10.15388/bibllita.2012.2.15592