Vatican Library embraces blockchain to preserve manuscripts, engage donors

The Vatican Library has partnered with NTT DATA Italia to use blockchain technology to preserve its vast collection of manuscripts.

Announced on June 17, the “Vatican Library Web3 Support Project” aims to expand the library’s online community and engage supporters through modern technology.

The Vatican Library, home to approximately 180,000 manuscripts and more than 1.5 million printed books, will distribute non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to donors and social media users. Currently this experimental project is limited to Italian residents. However, a trial phase was first launched in Japan in February 2023.

Those who shared the NFT project on their social media accounts until July 16 received a “Silver NFT”. This NFT gave them access to an exclusive collection of high-resolution images of 15 manuscripts.

Those who financially support the project will receive a “Gold NFT” that will give them access to high-resolution images of all 21 manuscripts in the collection.

According to OpenSea’s proof of concept, to date 419 users have purchased Polygon-based NFTs, demonstrating the utility of blockchain technology in preserving cultural heritage. These NFTs are soul-bound, meaning they are non-transferable and are permanently linked to the buyer’s digital wallet.

Future applications

One of the oldest and most important repositories of historical texts, the Vatican Library dates back to the 14th century (the Catholic Church has had a library and archives since the 300s).

This web3 project aims to further the library’s mission of making older documents more accessible to the public.

In 2020, the Vatican Library launched a new website with improved search functions and easier access to digital reproductions of manuscripts, inventories and archival materials, among others. The campaign aims to preserve cultural heritage, with future plans potentially including immersive extended reality (XR) experiences such as augmented or virtual reality.

NTT DATA Italia has been collaborating with the Vatican Library since 2014, using the digital archive service AMLAD, which contains more than 2 million assets, to preserve historical documents. The company has invested billions of dollars in web3 infrastructure and will also strengthen its commitment to the digital future by launching a crypto wallet later this year.