Mosca Library

The Library consists of a collection of ancient and valuable books, a precious asset of the Department of Building and Territorial Systems Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino since 1999. Its acquisition was made possible thanks to the generous contributions of the City of Turin and the Piedmont Region, and the interest of Professor Pina Novello Massai. It is a rich collection of texts and volumes of plates, maps, and drawings, totaling more than three thousand volumes on various subjects, dating from the 16th to the 19th century, originally belonging to the Mosca brothers: engineers Carlo Bernardo and Giuseppe, designers operating in Piedmont from the first quarter of the 19th century, and their brothers Cesare and Luigi, respectively a priest and a doctor. The value of the preserved documents, some particularly rare and valuable, and the breadth of the subjects covered, make the Mosca Library a reflection of Savoyard culture in the first half of the 19th century. It is worth highlighting the importance of the Art and Various Sciences sections, which are of particular interest in the context of polytechnic history studies due to the richness of the material present, characterizing the disciplines of civil engineering and construction science. The various sections of the Library (Art and Architecture, Geography, Literature, Medicine, Religion, Journals, History, Various Sciences) have been cataloged by Dr. Maddalena Morando of the University Library System. On November 23, 2004, a first study day was held, followed in 2006 by the publication of the volume “Libri vivendi. The Mosca Library at the Politecnico di Torino” edited by G. Novello and M. Morando. The promotion of studies on the documentary material has been initiated through the publication of articles and memoirs, of which the related collection is preserved and archived within the Mosca Library itself.

For more information and consultation methods, contact the reference person.