The Vatican Secret Archives have fuelled people's imagination for centuries.
Today, the entire documentation kept in the Vatican Secret Archives occupies 85 kilometres of bookshelves and is constantly growing. It covers a period of over 800 years. Its unique location, the historical fascination and limited access contribute to this aura of mystery. Now, for the first time, a publisher has been allowed to walk around this wonderful location including the reading rooms usually only open to scholars, as well as rooms that remain closed to the public, like the Hall of the Meridian, decorated with
gorgeous 16th and 17th century frescoes. The book includes more than 100 of precious documents, selected by a special commission of four experts associated with the Vatican Secret Archives, and photographed in colour. More than 180 additional photographs reveal the beauiful rooms in which the Archives are stored.