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When is a library more than just a collection of books? At the EUI Library, the answer lives quietly in a dedicated room on the top floor of the Library: the Antonio Cassese Collection.
Comprising approximately 1,000 volumes, the collection belonged to Professor Antonio Cassese, a pioneering figure in international law, former EUI professor, and co-founder of the Academy of European Law. As the founding President of both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Cassese left a profound mark on the development of international justice. Yet beyond his professional and academic achievements, this collection offers a more intimate portrait: that of a scholar and reader of extraordinary depth.
This is what we might call a ‘travelling library’: these volumes were selected, carried, and consulted across decades and cities, from universities to international tribunals. Many are foundational texts, books Cassese deemed essential for the library of an international judge. Others were gifted to him, or reflect the breadth of his interdisciplinary interests, ranging from international responsibility to human rights, Holocaust studies, and international relations.
And perhaps most touching are the rare personal books from his student years, which he annotated and carried with him throughout his professional life. The collection also includes early 20th-century classics by foundational figures like Dionisio Anzilotti, Rolando Quadri, and Tomaso Perassi, some likely purchased second-hand.
Many volumes in the collection bear pencil markings, underlines, marginal notes, and even corrected typos. Cassese’s annotations show a mind in motion, often leading to cross-references, conceptual connections, and intellectual ‘snowballing’.
Several books contain dedications from prominent scholars such as Ronald Dworkin and George Fletcher, touches of warmth and collegial respect. Others are marked with dates and places of purchase or reading, turning the pages into a kind of travel log of a scholar’s life.
Today, thanks to the generous donation of the Cassese family, this collection has found a permanent home at the EUI Library. Carefully catalogued and preserved, it offers scholars and visitors a rare glimpse into the intellectual life of a man who helped define international law as we know it.
We invite you to explore it for yourself. Whether you are researching international law, tracing Cassese’s legal thought, or simply curious to see what a life of reading and studying looks like, you will find something here to inspire you.
The Cassese Collection is located in the Antonio Cassese Room on the top floor of the EUI Library. For more information or to arrange a visit, contact Law Information Specialist Valentina Spiga.