The National Library of Armenia has been replenished with a new publication on Armenian studies. “Armenie Ville: A Visual Essay on Armenian Architecture” a bilingual (English, Italian) book, published in 2016, is the result of a multi-year project by Italian photographer Claudio Gobbi, which began in 2007 at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, coinciding with the Year of Armenia in France.

This exclusive publication was donated to the library by Dutch Armenologist and translator Anna Maria Mattaar. Over ten years, the author has visited more than 25 countries and taken photos of over 125 Armenian churches. The book is an original attempt to chart the evolution and diffusion of Armenian architecture in the Diaspora and Armenia.

“Armenie Ville” is not only an artistic album but also a cultural and historical study, presenting how Armenian church architecture, with its simple but precise structure, has preserved its identity even in foreign countries. Analytical texts that address cultural memory, the altered or deserted state of monasteries, and the architectural preservation of Armenian identity are included with the series of photographs.