Who was Pope Nicholas V?
Born Tommaso Parentucelli in 1397, Pope Nicholas V was a passionate bibliophile. It was this passion for books that led to the development of the Vatican library, the crown jewel of all libraries. Pope Nicholas V was elected to the Chair of Peter in 1447 and quickly expanded the Vatican collection of books from 350 to 1,500 by adding his personal collection to the Churchs. He employed translators to turn Greek texts into Latin. He also collected books from monasteries and palaces throughout Europe, rescuing manuscripts from book lice, moths, and sometimes the furnace. He eventually added between 5,000 and 9,000 books to the Vatican library, depending on which source is read. The founding of the Vatican library is perhaps Pope Nicholass greatest accomplishment, as he opened up a whole world of literature to the public. His pontificate was only eight short years, yet he accomplished much. He rebuilt Roman fortifications, fixed the aqueducts, repaired St. Peters and the Vatican buildings,
