Even if you’re not an avid reader or interested in books, some libraries around the world are so beautiful that they deserve to be included in your next trip’s itinerary. The good news is that you don’t even have to go that far: it has a Brazilian address among the famous literary oases.
41yearold Italian teacher Nicole Delucca from Belo Horizonte is passionate about books and visits these places whenever she gets the chance. “I love books unconditionally and they will never be out of date for me. I’m impressed by the amount of knowledge we’ve built up throughout our history,” she says.
Among the places that have enchanted Nicole the most are the Italian Apostolic Vatican Library (from the Vatican) and Marciana from Venice; and the American ones in New York and San Francisco, both public. Despite this, the champion on his personal podium is the Carioca Real Gabinete Português de Leitura.
“It impresses me because Brazil is a country that is still struggling a lot to get people interested in reading. With all our history of fighting functional illiteracy, it is a privilege to have this beautiful and magnificent library on hand,” he states.
Stuttgart City Library
The name is complicated, but the library is beautiful: Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart
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Officially the Stuttgart City Library, 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 designed by Eun Young Yi in 2011. It is cubeshaped on the outside. Inside, four of the eight floors are vertically integrated.
National Library of France
National Library of France
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The Bibliothèque Nationale de France, also known by the acronym BnF, is located in the capital, Paris. It was founded by Charles V in 1368 and has been renovated several times throughout its history. Most recently 25 years ago with the Couverture extension, which houses the wellknown Oval Office with modern architecture. One of the most famous, however, is the Richelieu Reading Room, considered a landmark of 19thcentury architecture.
Helsinki Central Library
odi
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Better known as Oodi, its very concept warns that it’s not “just” a library. It was designed by ALA Architects and is considered a meeting place in the heart of Helsinki. There are almost 18,000 square meters of construction space, in interventions that leave the visitor relaxed in the most varied of settings there is a cafe, a cinema, a balcony, recording studios, as well as a spacious and quiet reading room that occupies the entire third floor, named after “Book Heaven” (book heaven, in free translation)
Tianjin Binhai Library
Tianjin Binhai Library, China, opened 2017; The central part has a structure called “The Eye”
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The library is part of the Binhai Cultural Center and is primarily characterized by its amorphous architecture. Inaugurated in 2017, it was designed by a group of local architects in collaboration with German professionals. Nicknamed “The Eye”, it has a large sphere in the center of the room that resembles an iris and can be seen from the outside like an eye.
Tianjin Binhai
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National Library of Qatar
National Library of Qatar
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The host country of the last World Cup not only enchanted book lovers, but also architecture lovers. The Qatar National Library in Doha is new it opened in November 2017 but is distinguished by its design by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The environment is divided into two parts: one is modern, full of natural light and rocking chairs, while the other preserves the historical legacy of the Middle East.
National Library of Latvia
National Library of Latvia
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Known as Castelo da Luz, the LNB (from Latvian Nacion?l? Bibliot?ka) received the title of best in the world in 2018. Located on the banks of the Daugava River in the capital city of Riga, the main goal is to create a national collection of literature and preserve it forever. The work of architect Gunnar Birkerts, much of its structure is covered in glass to ensure the interior is bathed in natural light during the day.
Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet
Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet, Rio de Janeiro
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The capital, Rio, has the huge National Library, considered one of the largest in Latin America with its 9 million objects, but the most famous literary address in Rio de Janeiro is just over 1 km away.
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is a cultural institution founded in 1837 that 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.
Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet
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Admont Abbey Library
Admont Abbey Library
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250 kilometers from the capital Vienna, the Austrian town of Admont has a library in the local abbey that’s 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 depot built since its inauguration in 1776, the space mixes architecture, sculpture, writing and paintings.
Joanine Library
Joanina Library, in Coimbra (Portugal)
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Located in the heart of the University of Coimbra in Portugal, it is a Baroque masterpiece founded under the patronage of King João V hence the name “Joanina”. Between 1717 and 1728, its architecture was designed to extol the wealth of the empire. However, the first books only reached the library much later, around 1750.
George Peabody Library
George Peabody Library
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The George Peabody Library is also academic and is located on the Peabody campus in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It was founded in 1878, built by architect Edmundo Georg Lind, and is currently affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.
Vatican Apostolic Library
Vatican Apostolic Library
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The Vatican’s official library was founded in 1451 by Pope Nicholas V. It has more than 82,000 manuscripts, including some of the oldest and most valuable in the world. In addition, there are 1.1 million printed books and 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
National Library of Russia
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As well as being part of the list of the world’s largest libraries, this Russian giant has a real history: it was founded in mid1795 from the Imperial Public Library, a creation of Catherine the Great, with more than 17 million volumes in its collection, being mainly Original documents in Russian can be viewed. It is located in St. Petersburg.
Beinecke Library for Old Books and Manuscripts
Beinecke Library for Old Books and Manuscripts
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The room is located in one of the most important buildings in the country: at Yale University in New Haven, USA. It was founded in 1963 by a member of the Beinecke family with their own financial resources. Today it is independent and comanaged by the educational institution. To visit the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, you must fill out a form and follow the site’s guidelines.