NFTs
Vatican Library to award NFTs to donors in ‘experimental project’ – Catholic World Report
A view of the Vatican Apostolic Library in 2021. / Credit: Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Rome newsroom, June 17, 2024 / 11 am (CNA).
The Vatican library announced on Monday that it will expand its use of Web3 technologies, granting non-transferable NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to supporters of manuscript collections.
For now, the project, considered “experimental”, applies only to Italian donors to the Vatican Apostolic Library. A test was first launched in Japan in February 2023.
According to the library, which preserves around 180,000 manuscripts and more than 1.5 million printed books, Italians who share about the NFT project on their social media accounts by July 16 will receive a “Silver NFT” through the which will be able to access a special high-quality collection. high-resolution images of 15 manuscripts from the library.
Financial supporters of the project will instead receive a “Gold NFT”, giving them access to high-resolution images of all 21 manuscripts in the special collection.
The Vatican has partnered with Japanese multinational company NTT DATA to expand “the Vatican Library’s online community, connecting the cultural institution with its supporters through Web3 technology,” according to a June 17 press release from the Vatican Library. Vatican.
The future of the project, the Vatican said, could include the ability to visit the library through immersive extended reality (XR) experiences such as augmented or virtual reality.
“I believe that our heritage requires special attention and dedication aimed at preservation and promotion,” said Salesian priest Mauro Mantovani, prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library this week.
“NTT DATA,” he continued, “has played an important role in supporting the Vatican Library’s mission to make its unique collections accessible to the public, regardless of origin, culture, religion, politics or ideology, while encouraging scientific research and development. ”
The papal library, in its current form, dates back to the 14th century, although there is evidence that the Catholic Church already had a library and archive as early as the year 300.
The Web3 project continues the papal library’s efforts to make ancient documents more accessible to the public.
The Vatican launched a new website for the library in 2020 with improved search functions and easier access to digital reproductions of digitized manuscripts, inventories, archival materials, coins, medals and incunabula, which are books printed in Europe before the 16th century.
According to its website, the Vatican Library “preserves more than 180,000 manuscripts (including archival units), 1,600,000 printed books, around 9,000 incunabula, more than 300,000 coins and medals, more than 150,000 engravings, thousands of drawings and engravings, and more than 200,000 photographs.”
The Apostolic Library is located in Vatican City, in a building dating from the end of the 16th century.
If you value the news and views provided by Catholic World Report, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers around the world for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information about donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.