Pope Leo XIV has ordered the expansion of the Vatican Apostolic Archive and Vatican Apostolic Library due to increasing demand, noting the role they fulfil in preserving the history of the Holy See. The expansion will come in the form of a new area within Vatican City and a new building.
Founded by Pope Sixtus IV in 1475, the Library contains more than one million books. The Archive was founded in 1612 by Pope Paul V and serves as the central catalogue of documents produced by the Holy See. Notable documents held within the Archive include Henry VIII’s request for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and a letter from Michelangelo complaining that he had not been paid for his work on the Sistine Chapel.
