Library in Rio is among ‘book paradises’: see 13 destinations
Even if you are not a keen reader or not that interested in books, some libraries around the world are so beautiful that they deserve to be included in the itinerary of your next trip.
The good news is that you don’t even have to go that far: it has a Brazilian address among the famous literary havens.
Passionate about books, Italian teacher Nicole Delucca, 41 years old, from Belo Horizonte, makes a point of visiting such spaces whenever she has the chance.
“I love books unconditionally and they will never be obsolete for me. I am impressed with the amount of knowledge we managed to build throughout our history”, she says.
Among the places that most enchanted Nicole are the Italian Apostolic Vatican Library and Marciana, in Venice; as well as the American ones in New York and San Francisco, both public.
Even so, the champion, on her personal podium, is the “Carioca” Real Gabinete Português de Leitura in Rio de Janeiro.
“It impresses me because Brazil is a country that still fights a lot for people to have a taste for reading. For all our history of fighting functional illiteracy, it is a privilege to have this beautiful and sumptuous library at our fingertips,” she states.
STUTTGART PUBLIC LIBRARY
Officially Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart, it received the National Library of the Year award in 2013.
Located in the heart of Stuttgart, in southwestern Germany, it moved to a new building in 2011, designed by Eun Young Yi. On the outside, it is cube-shaped. Inside, of the eight floors, four are vertically integrated.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF FRANCE
Also known by the acronym BnF, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France is located in the capital Paris.
It was founded in 1368 by Charles V and has undergone several renovations throughout its history.
The most recent one, 25 years ago, included an expansion, with the Couverture annex building, where the well-known Oval Office is located, with modern architecture.
One of the most famous, however, is the Richelieu Reading Room, considered a landmark of 19th-century architecture.
HELSINKI CENTRAL LIBRARY
Better known as Oodi, its very concept already warns that it is not “just” a library.
Designed by ALA Architects, it is considered a meeting point in the heart of Helsinki.
There are almost 18,000 square meters of construction, in interventions that leave the visitor relaxed in the most different environments — there is a café, cinema, balcony, recording studios, in addition to a spacious and quiet reading room, which takes up the entire third floor, named from “Book Heaven” (book heaven, in free translation)
TIANJIN BINHAI LIBRARY
Part of the Binhai Cultural Center, the library stands out mainly for its amorphous architecture.
Inaugurated in 2017, it was designed by a group of local architects in partnership with German professionals.
Nicknamed “The Eye”, it has a large sphere in the center of the space, which resembles an iris and can be seen from the outside, like an eye.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF QATAR
The host country of the last World Cup enchanted lovers not only of books, but also of architecture.
The Qatar National Library, located in Doha, is recent — it opened in November 2017 — but stands out for its design by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.
The environment is divided into two parts: one is modern, full of natural light and large chairs, while the other guards the historic heritage of the Middle East.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF LATVIA
Known as Castle of Light, the LNB received the title of best in the world in 2018.
Located on the banks of the Daugava River, it is located in the capital Riga, with the main objective of creating a collection of literature national and preserve it forever.
The work of architect Gunnar Birkerts, much of its structure is covered in glass, ensuring that natural light illuminates its interior during the day.
ROYAL PORTUGUESE READING CABINET
The capital of Rio has the giant National Library, considered one of the largest in Latin America with its 9 million items, but the most famous literary address in Rio de Janeiro is just over 1 km away.
You can see historical works such as ‘Os Lusíadas’ by Luís de Camões, in a rare edition from 1572.
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free.
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is a cultural institution founded in 1837, which houses a collection of more than 400,000 books, in addition to a collection of manuscripts, maps, engravings and periodicals.
It was founded to promote reading and culture among Portuguese immigrants and their descendants.
ADMONT ABBEY LIBRARY
250 kilometers from the capital Vienna, the Austrian city of Admont has a library inside the local abbey that has been buzzing on social media — the Benediktinerstift Admont.
All because of the interior that looks like a work of art from the Baroque period.
With a repository that has been built since its inauguration in 1776, the space mixes architecture, sculptures, writings and paintings.
JOANINA LIBRARY
Located in the heart of the University of Coimbra, in Portugal, it is a baroque masterpiece, founded with the patronage of King João V — hence the name “Joanina”.
Its architecture was thought precisely to exalt the wealth of the empire, between 1717 and 1728. However, the first books only reached the library much later, around 1750.
GEORGE PEABODY LIBRARY
The George Peabody Library is also academic and is located on the Peabody campus in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.
Established in 1878, it was built by architect Edmundo Georg Lind and is currently linked to Johns Hopkins University.
VATICAN APOSTOLIC LIBRARY
The Vatican’s official library was founded in 1451 by Pope Nicholas V. It has over 82,000 manuscripts, including some of the oldest and most valuable in the world.
In addition, there are 1.1 million books in print, as well as 8,300 incunabula (books printed before 1500).
The Italian library also has an important collection of works of art and is open to the public, who must request a visit in advance.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF RUSSIA
In addition to being part of the list of the largest libraries in the world, this Russian giant also has a real history: it was formed from the Imperial Public Library, a creation of Catherine the Great, in mid-1795.
The National Library of Russia has more than 17 million volumes in its collection, mainly including original documents in Russian. It is located in St. Petersburg.
BEINECKE LIBRARY OF RARE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS
The space is located in one of the most important buildings in the country: at Yale University, in New Haven, in the United States.
The foundation took place in 1963 by a member of the Beinecke family with their own financial resources.
Today, it is independent and co-governed by the educational institution.
To visit the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, you must fill out a form and follow the site’s policies.
With information from UOL
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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