Top 7 most beautiful libraries in the world
I love libraries. They are filled with intellectual, historical and creative works, and some of the renowned ones have beautiful architecture. As a writer, there are some libraries I dream of having my books deposited in. And though the adage is true, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” I thought I would put together a list of some of the ones known for their beauty.
Here is a list of the top 7 libraries known for beautiful architecture:
Zairon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland: Probably the most beautiful library in the world. Founded in 1592, its Long Room has a stunning barrel-vaulted ceiling and it holds thousands of books. I visited the library on one of my visits to Dublin and could have spent many hours in it.
Admont Abbey Library, Austria
Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar via Wikimedia Commons
- Admont Abbey Library, Austria: Founded in 1770s, it is the world’s largest monastic library and has a ceiling painted with frescoes by Austrian Baroque painter, Bartolomeo Altomonte.
Gre regiment, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Abbey Library of Saint Gall, St. Gallen, Switzerland: Dating back to the 8th century, this library built in the Rococo style is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and features exquisite woodwork and ceiling frescoes. This library has been on my list to visit for some time.
Choinowski, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
- Stuttgart City Library, Stuttgart, Germany: Founded in 2011, it is a modern cubic structure that has a minimalist white interior and central atrium.
Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic: Founded in the 17th century, its Theological and Philosophical Halls have intricate frescoes and adorned woodwork.
Moushira at meta.wikimedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt: Founded in 2002, this modern tribute to the ancient Library of Alexandria features a distinctive sun-shaped design.
photo credit: Joalpe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Portuguese Reading Room, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Founded in 1880s, it showcases Neo-Manueline architecture with a vast collection of Portuguese literature.
Though there are a number of beautiful libraries in the world, these are considered to be some of the most beautiful. But, of course, as I noted previously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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