Rare Book Stolen From UCLA Library

"The 18th century Italian manuscript is about the Orsini palace in Rome.

By Larry Gordon, Times Staff Writer
March 1, 2007

Authorities are investigating the theft of a rare 18th century Italian manuscript from an exhibit case at a UCLA library, campus police said.

A bound volume of documents from a collection about the politically powerful Orsini family of Rome was stolen sometime between the late afternoon of Feb. 9 and the morning of Feb. 12, according to police.

The 208-page volume of texts and illustrations from 1715 to 1736 about the Orsini palace in Rome was not appraised, but some experts said it could be worth about $7,500. The manuscript was part of a large collection that the UCLA Library acquired in 1964.

The parchment-covered book was on public view in the special collections area of the Charles E. Young Research Library in connection with an international scholarly conference on the Orsini family, an immensely wealthy clan that produced popes and political leaders. The exhibit continues through March."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact UCLA police detectives at (310) 825-9371