Luigi Serra di Cassano (1747-1825)

Luigi Serra di Cassano was born in 1747 and came from one of the leading aristocratic families of Naples, bearing several titles including that of Duke of Cassano. He married Giulia Carafa who bore him fourteen children. Naples at that time was an important European capital city with a flourishing cultural life, and Luigi formed part of its intellectual elite. He had a great love of anything which illustrated the cultural heritage of Italy, and particularly of his native city. Over the years, he assembled an extensive art collection and an outstanding library of early printed books.

When the French Revolution occurred, two of his sons, Gennaro and Giuseppe, were studying in France . They returned to Naples and became active in the political and intellectual ferment taking place in the city at that time. They played an active part in the establishment of the short-lived Neapolitan republic during 1799. Luigi himself was invited to become a member of the governing body, but stood aside in favour of his elder son Giuseppe, while Gennaro became commander of the National Guard. As a result, Gennaro was executed in 1799 when the Bourbon King Ferdinand regained the city. In response to his son’s death, Luigi closed up the principal door of the family home, the Palazzo Serra di Cassano. Giuseppe too was condemned to death, but escaped execution as he was in Paris, and subsequently held office in the Kingdom of Naples under Joseph Bonaparte and Murat. On his father's death in 1825, he inherited the title of Duke of Cassano.

Another son, Francesco, followed a career in the Church, becoming Archbishop of Capua and was created a cardinal. He too assembled a considerable personal library which was acquired by the archdiocese on his death.

In 1819/20, Luigi met with George, Earl Spencer, while the latter was on a tour of the Continent and proposed selling to him his collection of books. Spencer was initially reluctant but eventually agreed in order to fill the gap in his own collection relating to early Neapolitan printing – the Serra library included at least one unique item, as well as several which were very rare. A catalogue of the “Cassano library” was published in 1823 as a supplement to “Bibliotheca Spenceriana” and the volume held at Leeds is listed as no.274.