From 11 April to 31 October, the Museo di San Marco in Florence will host ‘La Biblioteca svelata: il bestiario fantastico’, the first exhibition-dossier dedicated to the illuminated manuscripts held in the library built by Michelozzo, which is considered Europe’s first public library.

The exhibition presents a valuable selection of manuscripts from the 13th to the 16th century and explores the fascinating world of zoomorphic decoration, featuring real animals, hybrid creatures and fantastical figures. To find out more about the city and its cultural heritage, click here.

At the heart of the exhibition are images rich in symbolic and narrative meaning, such as the dragon, depicted either alongside the saint who defeats it or as a free expression of imagination and decorative style. This is an evocative journey through art, imagination and spirituality, taking visitors to the very heart of medieval and Renaissance visual culture.