The Biblioteca Maldotti (Maldotti Library), originally established in the former Church of San Luigi dei Padri Gesuiti, was first open to the public in 1817, thanks to the bequest of Abbot Marco Antonio Maldotti, a priest from Guastalla who had stipulated in his 1791 that his collection of nearly 5,000 volumes be donated to fellow citizens. The Library began its life upon his death on August 14, 1801.

This initial nucleus - reflecting Maldotti’s wide-ranging interests and studies, from philosophy to mathematics, law to geography, astronomy, patristics and poetry - was gradually enriched with the libraries of Guastalla’s suppressed religious orders, as well as through purchases and private donations, eventually reaching its current size of around 100,000 volumes.  Since the second half of the 19th century, the Library has been housed in the imposing palace on Via Garibaldi. Today, scholars can consult about twenty incunabula, more than 1,500 cinquecentine (16th-century editions), rare works produced in the following centuries, and a substantial collection dedicated to art history and the local territory.

Alongside the Library, the palace also preserves a remarkable picture gallery, significant collections of prints, gride (legislative proclamations), coins, medals, herbaria, photographs, posters, dissertations, and important archives. The most renowned and most frequently consulted of these is the Fondo Gonzaga (Eng., Gonzaga Fund), which contains documents relating to the Gonzaga dynasty, rulers of Guastalla from 1539 to 1746.

Other notable collections include the Davolio-Marani, Cani, and Galvani funds, each of different origins.
These were reorganized in 1934 by Professor Aldo Cerlini and later described in volumes LXIII and LXIV of “Inventari dei Manoscritti delle Biblioteche d’Italia” (Eng., Inventories of Manuscripts in Italian Libraries) compiled by Albano Sorbelli and published by Olschki in Florence in 1937. Further enriching this legacy are other private family archives, the Archivio Storico del Comune (Municipal Historical Archive) and the Archivio delle Opere Pie (Archive of Charitable Institutions).

In recent years, the Maldotti Library has also promoted cultural life by creating a Circolo Fotografico (Photography Club) and a Circolo Musicale (Music Club), which regularly organize exhibitions and events alongside the Library’s broader initiatives. Almost every year, the Maldotti Library  also sponsors the publication of works on the history and artistic heritage of the territory.