Fondation Martin Bodmer (Martin Bodmer Foundation)

Fondation Martin Bodmer (Martin Bodmer Foundation) Review

The library that sources this humbling exhibition of original texts—from cuneiform tablets, papyrus scrolls, and parchment to a dizzying array of first editions—maps the history of human thought. Dramatic displays of bas-reliefs and dimly lit Egyptian books of the dead give way to Homer's Iliad; handwritten Gospels according to Matthew and John; multiple, exquisite, copies of the Koran; Dante; a perfectly preserved Gutenberg Bible; Shakespeare (the complete works, published in 1623); an autograph score by Mozart; Oliver Twist; the Communist Manifesto; and Alice in Wonderland. A comprehensive printed guide is available in English. The collection is displayed in a subterranean space designed by Mario Botta; hilltop views from the terrace above are superb.