Since 1848, when the Ministry of Agriculture and Trade of the Kingdom of Savoy was born, special consideration was given to the collection of works  from the scientific, technical and legal areas connected with the world of agriculture.

The birth of the library dates back to 1860, together with the birth of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce in Turin.

Particularly in the decade 1860-70, under the leadership of scholar and philosopher Carlo Ohlsen,  began the acquisition of the oldest and most prestigious works.

Given the historical period and the genesis of the administration, the characteristic feature of this first core collection is the prevalence of French authors. This was, after all, the language spoken in the administration and high society in the late 19th century.

Conceived then as a service library for Ministry employees, it found a new home in 1871 in the Palazzo della Stamperia, and in that very year it was the first among the Kingdom's ministerial libraries to open its doors to outside users.

The move to its current location on Via XX Settembre took place in 1913. The Library also has a valuable antiquarian collection. It includes the Justinian compilation, with the gloss of the jurists of the University of Bologna as well as numerous volumes from the Papal States, in particular a large jurisprudence of the Tribunal of the Sacred Rota.