Lapidem pretiosum huius nostrae civitatis. The liturgical heritage of Cesena and the Malatestiana Library between tradition of studies and digital dissemination

The Malatestiana Library was built in the mid-15th century inside the Convent of Saint Francis by Malatesta Novello, lord of Cesena, and it is today one of the most famous humanist convent libraries in the world. In its 570 years of history, the Library has progressively enriched its collections with numerous liturgical manuscripts, including the choir books of Cardinal Bessarion and the choir library of the Cathedral. Over time, these materials have been the subject of research, exhibitions and digitisation projects, which have brought them to the attention of the international scientific community. The essay offers an overview of the liturgical manuscripts preserved by the public and religious institutions of the Cesena area, as well as an outline of the cataloguing and promotional activities carried out by the Malatestiana Library in the last decades and freely available online by the users.