Fire Destroys Historic Bilotti Library in Cosenza, Killing Three

A fire in a historic building in Cosenza, Italy, has destroyed the library of the Bilotti Ruggi D'Aragona family, including priceless manuscripts and early printed books, and killed three people. The blaze started in an illegally occupied apartment on the ground floor and spread to the upper floor housing the library. Among the lost items is the first edition of Bernardino Telesio's "De rerum natura iuxta propria principia," manuscripts by Parrasio, Quattromani, Bombini, and Telesio, eight original 15th-century parchments in Gothic script, unique copies of works by Aulo Giano Parrasio, and a correspondence with Galileo. The fire also damaged the adjacent Palazzo Ruggi d'Aragona, a 12th-century historic building owned by the Bilotti family, which had been restored and opened to the public. The palace was set to host graduation sessions for the University of Calabria's architecture faculty starting in September. Roberto Bilotti, owner of the residence, stated, "It was a tragedy foretold, denounced for eight years, but justice did nothing and today Cosenza mourns three victims and loses 500 years of history." The fire occurred in a context of illegal occupation and social decay in Cosenza's historic center, where several historic buildings are occupied by families in need. The city administration had planned to use the Bilotti residence as a catalyst for revitalizing the area.