Marquis Raffaele Carrega Bertolini, Prince of Lucedio

The KHI mourns the passing of Marquis Raffaele Carrega Bertolini, Prince of Lucedio. We are grateful to him and his wife, Laetitia Lefèvre d'Ormesson, for the largest donation in the history of the KHI, the Biblioteca Serlupiana - celebrated with a formal ceremony in the Salone dei Cinquecento at Palazzo Vecchio in May 2025.

A renowned neurogeriatrician, Raffaele dedicated himself to the study and preservation of memory as a fundamental cultural value. Together with his wife, he engaged deeply with the preservation of the precious library inherited from his maternal grandparents, Filippo Serlupi Crescenzi and Gilberta von Ritter de Zahony. Spanning from the 15th century to the present day, this unique and well documented collection of books is set to become a landmark for research in the humanities. With foresight and a great sense of responsibility, Raffaele and Laetitita decided to ensure the future of the Biblioteca Serlupiana through statal notification and its donation to the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut, so that it will remain in Florence and be made accessible to the international scholarly community.

Raffaele Carrega Bertolini’s ability to combine scientific knowledge with civic engagement set him apart, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to knowledge and its transmission. We remember with deep emotion his profound love and care for books and the gentle grace of his character.

Raffaele is mourned by all who appreciated his work, his generosity, and vision; our thoughts and sympathies go out to Laetitia.