The 10 most beautiful libraries in the world
Silence, reflection and ... admiration! In the libraries we have selected, it will be difficult to focus on your research since you will have only one desire: to look up to admire their fantastic architecture! As a tribute to these temples of knowledge that still resist the digital invader, Petit Futé takes you from Brazil to Morocco to discover the most beautiful libraries in the world.
10 - The Stuttgart Library, a landmark monument
Impossible to miss when you visit Stuttgart, the municipal library serves as a landmark in the city! Designed by Korean architect Eun Young Yi and built in 2011, this 9-storey building shines throughout the day before turning blue after dark. Its very modern architecture and immaculate interior give it an impression of impressive grandeur.
9 - The library of the abbey of Admont, monastic treasure
Located on the Enns River in Austria, the Benedictine abbey of Admont houses one of the largest monastic libraries in the world, built in 1776. Among the 200 000 volumes preserved, we discover valuable pieces such as the Encyclopedia of Diderot and d'Alembert, Martin Luther's Bible and sumptuous medieval manuscripts. Its 7 Baroque domes decorated with frescoes by Bartolomeo Altomonte are architectural wonders.
8 - The National Library of the Czech Republic, Baroque Jewel
Located in the Clementinum, in Prague, the baroque building of the National Library of the Czech Republic is home to more than 20,000 theological and medical works of great importance. If his domains are beyond you, just contemplate the beauty of the place. The ceiling frescoes, painted by Jan Hiebl in 1727, represent science. Curious travelers will also appreciate the sublime collection of globes!
7 - The Unusual Kansas City Municipal Library
There is nothing more banal than finding books in a library, of course. But at the Kansas City Library in Missouri, the books in question measure almost 8m and constitute an entire wall of the building! This unusual architecture was desired by the municipality itself, which surveyed the readers to find out which books deserved to be represented. There are gigantic reproductions of Lord of the Rings Tolkien or Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury. A real call to reading!
6 - The library of Alexandria, a true phoenix
Built in 288 BC J.C and destroyed before 642, the library of Alexandria, Egypt, was the largest in antiquity. In 1995, as part of a Unesco project, a new building was built on its site: the Alexandrina Library. Opened in 2002, it houses the largest reading room in the world that occupies seven floors! Its modern architecture gives pride of place to history and recalls the evolution of writing, from papyrus to the internet. A phoenix library that seduces all readers!
5 - The library Sainte-Geneviève, the soul of the Latin Quarter
If you stroll in the 5th district of Paris, do not miss to enter the library Sainte-Geneviève! Close to the Sorbonne and the Pantheon, this prestigious establishment was intended to house the library of the Sainte-Geneviève abbey, founded in the 6th century by Clovis and destroyed during the Revolution. It has become an emblem of knowledge in Paris today, often praised by great French authors like Honoré de Balzac or Simone de Beauvoir.
4 - The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, a historical splendor
Little visited, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura of Rio de Janeiro is nevertheless a must in the maravilhosa cidade. Founded in 1837 by Portuguese immigrants, it now houses more than 350,000 volumes. Its Neomanuelin style, from the Portuguese King Manuel I, is notable in its limestone limestone facade in Lisbon. The main reading room is breathtakingly beautiful! To discover absolutely!
3 - The secret apostolic library of the Vatican
This is the State Library of the Holy See. Founded by popes Nicolas V and Sixtus IV in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest in the world. Today, it has more than 50,000 manuscripts, 7,000 incunabula and many secret archives! The most valuable document is most certainly a papyrus dating back to the year 200 which includes the Gospels of Luke and John: a real treasure. Unfortunately only accessible to authorized researchers, the library has digitized many of its most valuable manuscripts for an online consultation.
2 - The mythical Al Quaraouiyine library of Fez
Located in the historic University of Fez, in the Moroccan Middle Atlas, the Al Quaraouiyine library is the oldest in the world. This historical prestige makes him reach the second step of this ranking. Founded between 859 and 877, it is a gem of knowledge that can be accessed again since 2016 thanks to many restoration works that have kept the integrity of this beautiful Arab-Andalusian style building.
1 - The fascinating Trinity College Dublin Library
Trinity College is one of the world's most renowned universities. Founded in 1592, it houses a splendid library that has a fund of 5 million pounds! His dark alleys inspire meditation and reflection, like the great ones who studied on his benches many years ago like Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde among others. The most remarkable document of the library is The book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript dating back to 820.