The Bibliotheca Hertziana’s fascinating history is contrasted in this account with a description of the reconstruction work currently being carried out on its buildings in the historic centre of Rome. Its extensive collections are listed in the Florence-Munich-Rome union catalogue (www.kubikat.org), the union database of the major German art history research libraries in those cities, which has been accessible on the internet since December 1998. Conceived from the start as a place of study for art historians from all nations, the library continues to follow the vision of its founder, Henriette Hertz, by playing a part in international activities in the field. It is scheduled to re-open to external users in early 2008.