In 1961, the "Associazione Turistica Pratese" organised an exhibition entitled: "The Pratese book during the years", to celebrate a hundred years since Antonio Bruni founed the first Italian public library in Prato . The exhibition took place in the Pretorio Palace, which had been divided into six sections: Ancient Pratese Books, Pratese Printing houses, Pratese Art, Wool and Economy in Prato, Pratese Historiography, and Pratese Periegetica. The famous poem written by Convenevole da Prato, dedicated to Roberto d'Angiò, was exhibited (this beautiful miniature codex is today kept in the Central National Library in Florence). The catalogue of the exhibition, by Mario Bellandi, Carlo Paoletti and Aldo Petri, is very interesting and studies in depth the city of Prato. Antonio Bruni was born in Prato in 1843. He studied Jurisprudence in Pisa but preferred to dedicate his life to the popular education. On the 1st of November 1861, he founded (together with eight of his friends) the first Italian Library. Inspired by the popular libraries of the Anglo-Saxon countries (of which James Kirkwood had promoted since the 18th century), the purpose of it was to help the students to find books, to educate the citizens, and to keep them away from wine and games of chance. Many famous Italians sang their praises to Bruni's library: the scholars Lambruschini and Tommaseo and the "national hero" Garibaldi (who fought for the unity of the country).The library in Prato, also inspired the Franklin Society, founded in France on the 12th of September 1862 by the scientist Bonssingault. Bonssingault was responsible of all the initiatives used to found local libraries. In 1863, in Alsazia (France) a Society of the municipal libraries was instituted by Jean Dollfus, Maire di Mulhouse and Giovanni Macè. Bruni was appointed an Inspector for the schools of Catanzaro, Catania, Perugia and Orvieto, by the Ministry of Public Education. He was the Director of Education in Lucca. During the periodical reunions of the Bruni library, he would talk about the suggestions and the praises that they were receiving from all over Europe; about the purposes of public libraries and the opening of new ones; about the reviews written in the papers (and he was noting down everything in the libraries annual publication). He had also been the author of the pedagogical book and reading books for students. Bruni died on the 9th of November 1891 in Campobasso, where he was the teacher in a junior high-school.