Sandro Teti, a member of WOSCU and president of the Italian publishing house Sandro Teti Editore, met with Prefect Mantovani. On behalf of WOSCU's leadership, he presented Mantovani with the album "Kamāl al-Dīn Behzād: The Shamed Mani" and introduced the project "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in World Collections."
In turn, don Mantovani thanked WOSCU for the gift and noted that he does not rule out the possibility of concluding an agreement in the near future, under which one of WOSCU's professional orientalists could consult the library's special collections, where ancient manuscripts are stored. A working contact will be established soon.
The Vatican Apostolic Library was founded in the 15th century by Pope Sixtus IV. It possesses a rich collection of manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The library's holdings are continuously being updated. Currently, the library contains at least 1.6 million printed books, 150,000 manuscripts, 100,000 engravings and geographical maps, as well as 300,000 coins and medals. The library also includes the Vatican School of Librarians, a restoration laboratory, and a facsimile creation facility.
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.