The inauguration of the Antonio Cassese Collection was scheduled to coincide with the High Council (HC) meeting on 5 June at the EUI. Attendees and speakers included EUI President Patrizia Nanz, who also unveiled the plaque; Chair of the HC Miguel Maduro; HC members; Library Law Information Specialist Valentina Spiga; Law Professor Arnulf Becker Lorca; Dieter Schlenker, Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU); Mary Carr, Archivist at the HAEU; and Professor Sabino Cassese, brother of Antonio Cassese and a member of the HC.
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.
The inauguration event showcased a section of volumes bearing 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 of the featured books contain dedications from prominent scholars such as Ronald Dworkin and George Fletcher.
Alongside the book showcase, personal items from Antonio Cassese's private archive at the HAEU were on display. These items include a medal issued by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the judicial gown he wore while serving at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Additionally, facsimiles of documents from the Antonio Cassese fonds were showcased, highlighting his personal involvement as a legal expert in humanitarian law, genocide, and crimes against humanity. The display also featured examples of his work as the President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which emphasised his efforts regarding the treatment of political prisoners.
While the archival items will be returned to the HAEU, the Antonio Cassese 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 in the Antonio Cassese Room on the top floor of the EUI Library. For more information about Antonio Cassese and the Antonio Cassese Collection, read the Library blog post. Contact Law Information Specialist Valentina Spiga for further information.