The library was founded and built as a “charitable institution” by Mons. Caravadossi, Bishop of Casale Monferrato, in 1738. He endowed it with many books and an annuity for its maintenance and management. The original premises were in the old Seminary in Via Palestro, where the first library nucleus, used by the seminarists for their studies, was built as early as 1610. The Napoleonic decree of 1805 transferred the library to the Municipality of Casale, until 1807. Subsequently, in the absence of dedicated rooms, Bishop Villaret had the library moved to the Oratory of San Filippo Neri until the construction of the current building, annexed to the west arm of the new Seminary. It was built to designs by the architect Antonio Vigna and is decorated with frescoes by the Ivaldi brothers, nicknamed “the Mutes”. In 1832, the theologian librarian Gaspare Seggiaro reordered, catalogued and stacked the books on the wooden shelves still in use today. In 1904, the new librarian Father Cristiforo Sala further reorganized all the books. His card index, completed in 1911, and still usable today, contains the following figures: 30,000 books, 160 incunabula, 400 rare editions, and 120 manuscripts on both paper and parchment. There are approximately 3,000 printed editions from the 16th century. A computer inventory is currently being compiled as part of the “SBN” national project, and can be consulted online. Since 2010 the library has been connected to the “SIBEP”, the network centre of the Ecclesiastic Libraries of Piedmont. It currently has 65,000 books, antique and modern, from acquisitions, bequests and donations, also from private citizens. The Seminary Library is an independent ecclesiastic and civil legal entity. It has its own Board of Directors, whose Chairman and legal representative is the Bishop of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato.