The CSAA houses an ancient xylotheque dating back to the 19th century. Originally consisting of about one hundred pieces, the current collection comprises 56 pieces, with the rest having been lost. Each case showcases various morphological and anatomical characteristics of the species it represents: it is shaped like a book extracted from the trunk of a tree, with the bark representing the spine (or back). The macroscopic characteristics of the wood can be observed on the “front” and “back cover” of the “book” (radial section), on the “edge” (opposite side to the bark) (tangential section), and on the “top and bottom edges” (cross section). The case can be opened like a “book”: inside, it contains the seedling (the small plant born from the seed), leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, along with some wood-derived products such as ash and charcoal.

For more information (in Italian):

• Viola F (2024) Libri in legno. Scoperto l’autore della xiloteca di San Vito di Cadore. Il Bo Live, 22 Gennaio 2024 (link)
• Viola F (2022) Una curiosa collezione di libri. La xiloteca di San Vito di Cadore. Atti e Memorie dell’Accademia Galileiana di Scienze Lettere ed Arti in Padova Volume CXXXIV (II): 379-393 (pdf)
• Gambi G (1969) I libri di legno dell'Orto agrario di Padova. Monti e Boschi 5: 15-24 (pdf)