The Vallesiana Library is an ancient cultural institution of Castelfiorentino. The venue is a historic building dating back to the 18th century, while the inauguration dates back to November 17, 1889 and is mainly due to the book heritage donated to the Municipality by Francesco Vallesi, the first mayor of Castelfiorentino after the unification of Italy.
Vallesi donated about 3,000 volumes to the library which were later enriched with volumes from the Società Popolare Circolante (the first public library in the country). In memory of the first phase of the library’s history there is a plaque commemorating its inauguration, held by Orazio Bacci, and a portrait of Francesco Vallesi, painted by Annibale Gatti, in the reading room. The library currently has around 58.000 documents.
The historical documentary heritage is completed by about 8000 documents from the ancient collection, about 7000 photos and slides from the municipal photographic archive and a collection of posters and posters relating to the local section, as well as archaeological finds from the area.
