Federico Da Montefeltro (1422-1482) was the son of Guidantonio da Montefeltro and duke of Urbino beginning in 1444[1].  Other than being an acclaimed war hero what Federico is most known for is his library.  There exists ample literature on the library itself but what has yet to be examined is the way in which he used it as a tool. The following will list and briefly describe the ways in which Federico used his library as a means of social interaction and personal expression.

Using books to develop a social network:

Federico Da Montefeltro began with a library of under 100 manuscripts and by the end of his work he left a library of over 900[2].  Such a task is almost insurmountable alone, so Federico sought the assistance of others.  There were three main people that contributed to the creation of the library, Vespiano Di Bisticci, Ottaviano Ubaldini Della Carde and Lorenzo Abstemio. Vespiano Di Bisticci was a renound creator of manuscripts and played a large role in building up the content of Federico’s library[3].  Ottaviano Ubaldini Della Carde’s main contribution to the library was works of science because Federico was more focused on philosophy and medieval poetry[4].  Lorenzo Abstemio was essentially a librarian who maintained the order of the books, and led groups of citizens on tours to visit and use the library[5]. This was an extremely important job because it pulled together the pieces that allowed Federico’s social network to benefit from his library.

It was through the literature in his library that Federico was allowed to form commonalities with the citizens of Urbino.  The amount of people able to form these commonalities from increased because of the contributions of Ottaviano Ubaldini Della Carde. Ottaviano helped Federico connect with those who studied outside his realm of knowledge/interest.  Vespiano Di Bisticci was instrumental not only because of his ability to create manuscripts but also because of his connections to other leaders such as the Medici Family, of whom he had also worked for. Lorenzo tied together the work of both Vespiano Di Bisticci and Ottaviano Ubaldini Della Carde. Lorenzo tied the work of both men together through his constant upkeep and guided tours exposing the public to the library.  Together the work of all three men allowed Federico to have a library that would contribute to his social network.

Using books as tools of compensation

Federico Da Montefeltro, although loved by many, was not perfect in every way.  He was an illegitimate son of Guidantonio da Montefeltro therefore making him, in a sense, an illegitimate Duke[6]. He was also not the most attractive person, not because of any lack of god-given beauty, but because of a heavily scarred face from battle[7].  This is the explanation for the majority of his portraits being painted from his left side.  These two faults, despite being beyond his control, had the ability to influence his confidence.  He used his library as a compensation for both of these faults.

Due to the fact that he was not a legitimate duke one can derive an apparent compensation of legitimacy by Federico through his library.  One example of this is the placement of his coat of arms on every work in his library.  This is something that cost money yet was not even done by the much wealthier Medici in his library[8].  Given the fact that the budget of Federico was so much less than those of other creators of his time such as the Medici family[9] it becomes apparent that proving his achievement of perfection through marking all his property with his coat of arms

Due to his physical deformity one can derive an apparent compensation from Federico in the form of his Studio Di Gubbio.  The Studio Di Gubbio was nations worth of beauty condensed into a small room.  It also held some of his most personal books.  The room as well as the books within it were unbelievably detailed both inside and out and were known for their meticulous beauty[10]. His desire for visual perfection in his Studio Di Gubbio and the books in it can be seen as a compensation for his unsettling appearance.   Federico Da Montefeltro used his library as a tool to benefit his social network and also as a compensation for shortcomings in his life

Works Cited

1. Baldi, B. (2011) Della Vita E de’ Fatti Di Guidobaldo I. Da Montefeltro: Duca D’Urbino Libri Dodici. Nabu Press. Print.
2. Bartlett, K. (2011) The Civilization of The Italian Renaissance. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
3. Evans, Mark. (2009) A noble set of books: Mark Evans reviews an exhibition on one of the most celebrated libraries of the Italian renaissance, created by Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino. Apollo pp. 166
4. Frenceschini G. (1959). Figure Del Rinacscimento urbinate. Urbino 1964-1965. “Pio II e Federico Da Montefeltro. Atti e Memori Della Disputizione di storia parte per la Marche, III.  4.2 pp. 219-22
5. Merconi U. ed. (1966). Mostra dei codici gonzagheschi. La Biblioteca dei Gozaga daLuigi I Isabella, catalogue of the exhibition(Mantua Biblioteca Comunale, 18 September October 1996) Matua, pp. 40-44
6. Osborne, J. (2003) Urbino: The Story of a Renaissance City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Print.
7. Plumb, J.H. (2001) The Italian Renaissance . Boston, New York: Mariner Books. Print.
8. Raggio, O. (1999) The Gubbio studiolo and its conservation . New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Print
9. Simonetta, (2007) M. Federico da Montefeltro and his library Milano, Italy: Y.Press ; [Città del Vaticano] : Biblioteca apostolica Vaticana, pp.195
10. Vespiano Di Bisticci (1970). Commentario de la vita del signore Frederico duca d’Urbino, in A Greco ed., Vespiano di Bisticci, Vite, Florence, pp. 388-399