The Chinese Section of the Library of the School of Oriental Studies from 1904 to 1930s

This paper aims to trace the main steps in the creation and formation of the Chinese books section of the Library of Oriental Studies (Sapienza University of Rome) in the first half of the 20th century. The Chinese section began as a small component of the important Library of the then Faculty of Letters and Philosophy. Through a reading of archival documents, bibliographical information found in the pages of the Rivista degli Studi Orientali (RSO, Review of Oriental Studies), and administrative materials currently held by the Library of Oriental Studies, this paper traces the growth of the “Chinese library” from the first acquisition of Lodovico Nocentini’s private library, to the substantial collection of Peking University, donated around the 1920s to improve academic cooperation between the two universities. The paper also provides an account of Chinese studies in Rome at the beginning of the 20th century.