Surviving Books: Exhibition on Book History at Milan's Trivulziana

The Biblioteca Trivulziana in Milan's Castello Sforzesco presents a small but original exhibition on the long history of the book, focusing on the perils books have faced over centuries. Curated around Gaetano Volpi's 1756 manual, the show displays damaged volumes that survived water, fire, bookworms, and careless readers. Visitors can touch materials like parchment, paper, and leather, and even contribute to the 'destruction' of an 18th-century gradual already worn by many hands. The exhibition highlights the importance of physical support in transmitting knowledge, contrasting with ephemeral e-books. It also features a 14th–15th century codex from the Fabbrica del Duomo and references Angelo Mai's palimpsest research. The show invites reflection on what literature and science have been lost to pests or flames, and what can be recovered through restoration and study, sometimes revealing hidden texts or recycled pages in bindings. Under the faded gaze of Bramantino's hundred-eyed Argus, once guardian of the Sforza treasures, the exhibition suggests that while e-books fly away, books—if treated well—remain.