In time, and as wealth came his way in adulthood, Ferdinand Columbus developed into one of the most notable scholars of the Renaissance in his own right, amassing what is believed to have been the largest private collection of books in Europe, some 15,400 volumes that he acquired in his travels on behalf of the Spanish monarchs, whom he served for more than fifty years. His carefully catalogued personal library included valuable ancient manuscripts, works from the classics, mathematical and scientific treatises, religious works, and the first books produced on printing presses. His collection
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