The Public Library of Pulsano is dedicated to Pietro Mandrillo, a prominent figure in the cultural landscape of Pulsano and the Ionian area in the 1980s and 1990s. It was established in 1958 with a collection of about 1000 volumes, including the collection of Laws and Decrees of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and that of the Italian State. Since 2018, the library is located on the ground floor of the Convent of the Reformed Fathers, a monumental complex built at the beginning of the 17th century by the will of Don Nicolò Sergio Muscettola, prince of Leporano, Pulsano, Torricella, and Monacizzo, and seat of the Barefoot Friars of St. Francis.
Over the years, the library has seen its collection grow thanks to donations from institutions, organizations, and private individuals. Currently, it has a collection of about 20,000 documents including books, pamphlets, CDs, and DVDs. Of particular relevance are a significant number of pre-unitary 19th-century publications of 32 ancient volumes; geographical maps dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries; numerous rare editions before 1945, and Special Collections such as the Regional and Local Collection, the Pesiri Collection, the USIS Collection, and the newspaper library, which includes about 75 discontinued local and national publications and 8 active publications.
At the Pietro Mandrillo Library, lending and book consultation services are available. Additionally, the following activities are organized:
Since 2013, the library has joined the SBN library network in Taranto, and since 2021, it has been part of the bibliomuseal network of the Puglia region.
