Rising three-stories above the central study area on each wall, the book collection contained in the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading has created one of the most stunning examples of “library porn” on the planet as well as showing the history and breadth of writing that has come out of Portugal.
The doors of this massive library were opened in 1887, bringing a nearly endless collection of Portuguese texts to readers in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of the Empire of Brazil. The cabinet was founded in 1822 by a trio of Portuguese immigrants who wanted to bring their country’s literary tradition to the newly independent nation of Brazil, which had previously been a Portuguese colony since 1500. The collection’s current home was built specifically to house their growing collection, and was designed to evoke a Gothic-Renaissance influence that was popular at the time. At 350,000 titles, the collection soon became the largest collection of Portuguese works outside of Portugal; it includes rare original manuscripts, singular works of literature, and unique proofs.
Nearby
Sites
| Name | Since | Distance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading | 2014 | 0km | site_ao | ||
| Rio de Janeiro de en fr nl pt | 0.9km | site_izi | |||
| Escadaria Selarón Mosaic Steps | 2011 | 1.1km | site_ao | ||
| Rio de Janeiro Cathedral | 2016 | 0.6km | site_ao | ||
| This Stunning Library Is the Largest in Latin America | 2018 | 0.8km | site_ao | ||
| Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site | 2017 | 1.1km | site_whs | ||
| Rio Really is a Marvelous City. Are we Taking That for Granted? | The Rio Times | 2019 | 0.1km | post |
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