The rather bare and severe building of the Biblioteca Civica Berio was built in the mid 17th Century and is now home to Liguria’s central public library. It was refurbished by P. Gambacciani and G. Franchini, famous architects of the time. The building was left in a derelict condition after being bombed during WWII, before Italia Nostra saved it from demolition. The Abbot C.V. Berio founded the library as an institution in the 18th Century and it is said to be a haven for both researchers and book lovers.