See 23 of the world’s most enchanting libraries
From monasteries to royal reading rooms, get lost within these majestic libraries.
It has been said that reading books is surreal: You stare at marked slices of tree for hours on end, hallucinating vividly. Book lovers, therefore, are a strange bunch. They spend hours by themselves, escaping this world and immersing themselves in another. The variety of their worlds is as limitless as human knowledge. It’s a wonder that any one thing would bring these solitary souls together—until you consider the library. (See 14 other epic libraries around the world.)
Perhaps no institution in society holds as much promise as libraries do. For ancient monks, libraries were the repository of sacred knowledge; for early scientists, they made possible technical advancements and medical cures. The advent of the modern public library represents the greatest aspiration for civil society, namely that people would want to read, educate themselves, and actively broaden their horizons.
Of course, civil society is often under threat and therefore so are libraries. As repositories of theology and culture, libraries throughout history have come under fire—sometimes literally. Wars and fires have ravaged libraries, most notably the Library of Alexandria, but also lesser-known ones like Prague’s Strahov monastery library, which was destroyed by fire only to then suffer centuries of invading armies.
Threats to libraries aren’t always so extreme, though. The everyday problem of protecting antiquities from the ravages of time, or even merely from pests (both human and animal) is a principal concern. The Biblioteca Girolamini in Naples suffered at the hands of a crime ring that systematically plundered the collection in 2012, though librarians and bibliophiles the world over remarkably managed to recover the vast majority of stolen books.
Tasked with protecting our cultural heritage, librarians are unsung heroes, the first line of defense. But in Portugal, librarians find themselves with an unusual ally: bats. Book-loving insects are ingeniously kept at bay by bat colonies in such places as Coimbra’s Biblioteca Joanina and Mafra’s Biblioteca Municipal. (Explore the ancient temple full of meat-eating bats.)
Aside from books’ inherent value, libraries themselves often inspire awe and wonder. This is perhaps best illustrated when it comes to architecture. Some of history’s greatest architects have been commissioned to build libraries, from the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Henri Labrouste’s precursor to the modern library, to the Seattle Public Library, a contemporary marvel designed by Rem Koolhaas.
In these photos, we take a closer look at some of the most remarkable and beautiful libraries in the world. These marvels—like St. Emmeram, renowned in the Early Middle Ages for its bookmaking, or the private collections of former nobles now available to the public—might just inspire you to explore new worlds of your own.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- This ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thoughtThis ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thought
- Why this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect senseWhy this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect sense
- When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
Environment
- The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
History & Culture
- Meet the original members of the tortured poets departmentMeet the original members of the tortured poets department
- Séances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occultSéances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occult
- Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?
- Beauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century SpainBeauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century Spain
Science
- Here's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in spaceHere's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in space
- Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.
- NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
Travel
- Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico