"Lea Garofalo" Municipal Library

The Municipal Library, named after Lea Garofalo, is housed in the main building of the former Bini distillery, a wine-making establishment founded by the brothers Anselmo, Giovanni and Mario Bini in 1924.

In the post-war period, the Bini company made a decisive contribution to the economic development of Castelfranco Emilia, eventually employing up to two hundred staff; the family was also very active in the field of social welfare, in particular by funding the local orphanage. Industrial activity continued until the late 1960s.

In addition to the main building, the complex’s refrigeration plant and the imposing brick chimney are also still visible; taken as a whole, the buildings form a complex example of industrial heritage, in which the manor house, the administrative offices, the wine production and storage areas, and the imposing chimney are arranged in a line from west to east.

Today, the main building houses the Municipal Library: on entering, you can admire the original structure, which has been left exposed following the refurbishment works.

The Library is organised as an open-plan space, with the collection mainly housed on shelves in the central hall, and partly on mezzanine levels, designed to make the best use of the space, including vertically; the facilities are complemented by a conference room, an internal meeting room and a quiet study room, which is also designated for consultation. Part of the collection has been grouped into thematic areas to make searching for books more accessible and user-friendly.

On the first floor of the entrance block is housed the municipal photo library collection, comprising some 10,000 photographs dating from the late nineteenth century to the present day, divided into three collections: the historical collection, which is currently being catalogued; the modern collection, which documents life in the town from the mid-20th century onwards; and the ‘Anton Celeste Simonini’ collection, which preserves the photographs gathered by the artist during his time as a collector and enthusiast of local history.

The Library regularly updates its collection, and new additions are prominently displayed in all sections; the librarians are always on hand to help with anything you need!