Francesco Marucelli
Francesco Marucelli was an Italian abbot, bibliographer and bibliophile.
Born in Florence into a wealthy and noble family, Marucelli graduated in civil and canon law at the University of Pisa, and then entered the papal court in Rome, where he held the title of abbot. He spent his life collecting books and bequest he donated his extensive collection to the foundation of a library in Florence, the Biblioteca Marucelliana, which was the first institution of this kind in the city which was open to the public.
Marucelli was the author of Mare Magnum, a monumental catalogue consisting of 111 volumes and over 6,000 voices which intended to list the universal knowledge of that time, divided by subject fields. This work was ordered and published by his grandson Alessandro and is preserved in manuscript form at the Biblioteca Marucelliana.
