Museum of sacred art
The Museum of Sacred Art, founded in 1971 within the ancient convent of Monte Berico, was renovated in 2020 with a new exhibition path divided into six thematic sections. This itinerary includes over 500 works dated from the 14th to the 21st century.
The collection is very diverse and includes ex votos dedicated to Our Lady of Monte Berico, iconographic testimonies related to the history of the sanctuary, liturgical furnishings and vestments from the sanctuary and the convents of the Servite Order, works related to the spirituality of the Servites, spontaneous donations, and a collection of post-Byzantine icons of Greek, Russian, and neo-Byzantine origin.
Berica library
There is evidence of a “libraria” associated with the Monte Berico sanctuary as early as the 17th century. The library collection continued to grow until the 19th century, when it was dispersed due to the suppressions affecting all religious orders.
During the 20th century, thanks to a particular focus on the theological and cultural formation of the religious, the convent library was further enriched by the collections of scholarly friars, including those of Father Agostino Barberini, an astronomer and mathematician from the convent of San Giovanni Battista in Mendrisio (Switzerland), and Father Ferdinando Mantovani, founder of the first Catholic Action circle in Vicenza.
A significant boost occurred after 1958, when the Theological Study (later the “Santa Maria di Monte Berico” Higher Institute of Religious Sciences) was established, with the library providing valuable support for research and study. Starting in 2000, the library was organized according to modern standards, such as computerized cataloging of the collection, leading to its official inauguration and opening to the public in September 2006.
The current bibliographic collection consists of approximately 60,000 modern volumes, largely cataloged, and includes sections on theology, sacred scripture, patrology, philosophy, the history of Christianity, history, art, literature, and the humanities. The most substantial and distinctive collection pertains to Mariology and the history of the Servite Order. In addition, there are 10,000 ancient volumes, dating from before 1900 — including about 250 from the 16th century — and around a hundred periodical titles acquired by subscription.
Archive
The conventual archive of the Servites of Monte Berico originated from the effort to reconstruct the historical memory interrupted at the beginning of the 19th century with the transfer of the old collection to the State Archive of Vicenza. Despite this, some original documents, such as papal bulls and grants from the Comune of Vicenza from the 15th century, have remained in the convent.
Of particular interest is the Vicentini collection, which contains documents related to the Servite convents in Veneto. Since 1835, the documentation has been complete and includes approximately 700 archival units. The archive is accessible to scholars and contributes to documentary exhibitions.
Schola Poliphonica
The Schola Poliphonica Santuario di Monte Berico was established in September 2012. It is the resident choir at the sanctuary, dedicated to animating the Eucharistic celebration at 9:00 a.m. every first Sunday of the month, as well as the Masses on major Marian feasts and Church solemnities. At the same time, it follows a path of continuous artistic growth through the musical and vocal training of its members.