In 1884, after arduous negotiations, the Spanish State acquired the library of the House of Osuna. The collection, built up over generations and comprising more than 35,000 volumes, including printed works and manuscripts, was one of the most important bibliographic heritage collections in the country. However, the ups and downs and expenses of the 12th Duke of Osuna, Mariano Téllez Girón, set off alarm bells: the books were at risk of being scattered after his death in 1882. Finally, thanks to a financial agreement with his widow, María Leonor de Salm-Salm, they were purchased by the Ministry of Development and distributed mainly between the National Library of Spain and the libraries of the Senate and Congress. In addition, between 1888 and 1892, the rest of the books were distributed among a dozen university libraries, including that of the University of Valencia.

This exhibition traces the journey of this collection until its arrival at the Historical Library of the University of Valencia, recognizing both the value of the preserved works and the work of locating and classifying copies by the institution's staff over the years. Dukes, duchesses, librarians, bookbinders, and the volumes themselves will guide visitors on a journey on two levels: that of the protagonists who built and preserved a public reference library between the 18th and 19th centuries, and that of the books which, as objects, now constitute a historical, cultural, and heritage testimony of the House of Osuna.

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