The history of the Municipal Library of Filottrano dates back to 1979, when the administration led by Mayor Isidoro Carancini approved the first regulation that formally established it. However, 1987 is considered the true founding year: under Mayor Dario Pasquini, the library began to take shape as an actual public service, with the appointment of a director and an independent location.

On the proposal of scholar Mario Filippi, a profound expert on local history, the library was dedicated to Don Emidio Bianchi (1835–1890), a priest, historian, and teacher of Latin and Greek in the colleges of Foligno, Treia, and Osimo, as well as a teacher in the schools of Filottrano and a school principal.

Until then, the library had operated as a small reading center: from 1971 to 1977 it was hosted in Palazzo Perozzi, then in the Sala Giunta (also known as the “Red Room”) of the Town Hall from 1977 to 1987. With its official establishment, it found a home in Palazzo Rondini, becoming a true civic library open to the public.

In 2002, during the mandate of Mayor Ivana Ballante, the library moved to the premises of the former Orland factory, where it is still located today. The current administration, led by Lauretta Giulioni, has launched an important revitalization project, with the goal of transferring the library to the restored former Convent of San Francesco, once home to the town’s elementary and middle schools.

Over the years, the library’s collection has grown significantly, thanks also to generous donations from citizens. In 1977, there were only 287 volumes, available for consultation only; by 1987, the collection had grown to 2,434; today it is close to 20,000 titles. The holdings range from fiction to nonfiction, from local history to the great classics and contemporary bestsellers.

Among the most valuable collections is the Perozzi bequest, with 1,816 volumes in excellent condition, including 714 works printed before 1830. Particularly noteworthy is a copy of the Corpus Iuris Canonici Liber Sextus (1509), donated by Carla Merlini Corallini: a compilation of canon law issued by Boniface VIII in 1298.

The library also features a carefully curated section dedicated to local history, which includes the first work ever written about Filottrano: Memorie istoriche di Monte Filottrano by Silvestro Rondini, published in 1794 and included in the “Antichità Picene” series.

Great attention is also devoted to younger readers: the children’s area, equipped with carpets and child-sized tables, offers a rich selection ranging from Geronimo Stilton to Harry Potter, all the way to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, making reading a fun and inclusive experience.