Our partner Giuseppe Calabi and associate Andrea Buticchi have represented the family of Umberto Eco in the negotiation of the sale of the ancient book collection of the renowned writer and semiologist and the donation of his archive and library to the Italian State. The transaction provides that Umberto Eco’s archive and library (approximately 30,000 volumes) will be loaned on a long-term basis to the University of Bologna, where he taught for many years. The ancient book collection will be housed at the Biblioteca Braidense, the most ancient public library of Milan (1770) located on the Brera Museum premises. Furthermore, the agreement between the State and the Eco family provides for the digitisation of the archive and the library in order to ensure their public fruition.