Marciana Library

The Marciana Library is a Renaissance building located in the Piazzetta di San Marco in Venice. It was built in the first half of the 16th century by the architect Jacopo Sansovino, who also designed the famous Golden Staircase in the Doge's Palace in Venice. The library features rows of overlapping arches, topped by a balustrade open to the sky, obelisks at the corners, and statues on the roof. The history of the library dates back to the 14th century, when the poet Francesco Petrarca proposed its foundation in Venice. However, it was a cardinal in the 15th century who donated the first thousand volumes that formed the initial core of the library.