The most beautiful libraries in the world.

Admont Monastery Library, Admont, Austria

The Admont Monastery Library is actually a Christian monastery built in 1776 near the Enns River in the town of Admont, Austria. As the oldest surviving monastery in the Styria region, it is also renowned as the world's largest monastic library, boasting numerous ancient collections of science and art, and unique Baroque architecture.

The library's hall, designed by architect Joseph Hueber, is 70 meters long, 14 meters wide, and 13 meters high. The ceiling consists of seven domes, decorated with frescoes by the Austrian painter Bartolomeo Altomonte depicting the stages of human understanding: beginning with thought and speech, scientific and artistic creation, and finally reaching the Book of Revelation in the central dome. The walls are painted in two colors, yellow and white, and there are 48 windows to ensure the room is always filled with light.

In contrast to the idea of ​​enlightenment depicted in the ceiling paintings, the library is also adorned with four famous sculptures by the artist Josef Stammel, depicting the "Four Last Things": death and resurrection, hell, and heaven.

Mafra Library, Mafra, Portugal

The Mafra Palace, built in 1717, is located in Mafra, Portugal, 28 km from Lisbon. It boasts 1200 rooms and over 4700 doors and windows. It is classified as a Portuguese National Monument and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.

On the second floor of the palace is a magnificent library built by architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa, measuring 88 meters long, 9.5 meters wide, and 13 meters high. The library houses over 36,000 leather-bound books dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Notably, the library staff even keeps bats and releases them at night to hunt insects that damage the books.

Furthermore, the library is renowned for its magnificent architecture: the floors are covered with rose-patterned tiles and white marble; the two-tiered bookshelves are made of wood in the Rococo style (an 18th-century French art movement characterized by elegance, refinement, and yet charm and splendor); and the balconies have wooden railings.

Girolamini Library, Naples, Italy

The Girolamini Library, located within the Girolamini Church, was built in the 16th century and is the oldest library in Naples. It houses approximately 160,000 books, primarily ancient texts on philosophy, theology, history, and music, including around 6,500 musical works from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

In April 2012, approximately 1,500 books were stolen from the library. This largest book theft in centuries forced the library to close for months while police investigated. By 2013, police had found the culprits, and about 80% of the stolen books had been returned to the library. Now, the Girolamini Library has reopened and is expected to return to its former glory.

Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This library, dating back to 1837, is located at 30 Luís de Camões Street in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was built by a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants to promote Portuguese culture. Time magazine once named it the fourth most beautiful library in the world.

The library's facade is inspired by the striking Post-Gothic architectural style. Four statues adorn the facade: the Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral – who discovered Brazil; the greatest Portuguese poet – Luís de Camões; Prince Infante D. Henrique; and the explorer Vasco da Gama. Inside, the library features many other stunning statues made of silver, ivory, and marble, with interiors entirely of wood. Particularly noteworthy is the magnificent chandelier and skylight in the reading room.

Saint Gall Library, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Founded in the 7th century, the Saint Gall Library is the oldest library in Switzerland and one of the most important cultural centers in Europe. It houses nearly 160,000 books. In addition to ancient printed books, it also contains over 1,650 incunabula (books printed before 1501) and 2,100 manuscripts dating from the 8th to the 15th centuries.

Above the library's entrance is an inscription in Greek that reads: "A sacred place for the soul." The library was built in the Baroque architectural style, and the furnishings are in the Rococo style. The walls are covered with perfectly carved wooden bookshelves, and the ceilings are adorned with magnificent frescoes.

Sainte-Geneviève Library, Paris, France

The Sainte-Geneviève Library is a public library located at 10 Place du Panthéon, 5th arrondissement, Paris. It was founded in the 6th century by Clovis I, King of the Franks. The library houses approximately 2 million documents and currently serves as an inter-university library for various departments of the University of Paris.

The Sainte-Geneviève Library was designed in the Art Nouveau style by architect Henri Labrouste Born. The facade resembles Roman buildings with simple, finely carved arched windows. The library's reading rooms feature slender iron columns that creatively support the vaulted ceiling and large windows to let in light.

Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic

The Strahov Monastery Library was founded in 1143 and has survived numerous wars, fires, and looting to this day. It is one of the best-preserved and most valuable historical libraries, with over 200,000 books.

The library has two very impressive halls. The hallTheologyBuilt in 1671 in the traditional Baroque style, the entire hall is painted white, making the space feel more spacious and airy. It is decorated with numerous paintings and inscriptions illustrating the principles of faith, knowledge, and divine creation.PhilosophyBuilt in 1783, it boasts a more classical style, characterized by its magnificent walnut wood bookshelves. Both halls feature splendid ceiling frescoes by artists Siard Nosecký and Anton Maulbertsch.

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Kieu Mai