Seven world libraries in the UNESCO heritage list; Guardian bats and chained books!

Contents

Guardian bats in Portugal The oldest educational space in Europe in Switzerland The first public library in America Paied halls in Prague The legacy of the Medici in Florence Smart veilation system in Spain Wooden masterpiece in South Korea

For book and architecture lovers, libraries are more than wooden shelves and manuscripts. These sites show how knowledge has been formed and preserved over the ceuries. (Condé Nast Traveler)

In this article, we examine seven stunning libraries that are located in the heart of UNESCO World Heritage Sites; Places that each tell a unique story of history and art.

Guardian bats in Portugal

The Joanina Library at the University of Coimbra, Portugal is a jewel from the Baroque era.

This library was built in the 18th ceury and coains more than 60,000 books in the fields of medicine, law and theology. The amazing thing about this place is the presence of a colony of bats that protect valuable books from damage by huing insects at night.

The oldest educational space in Europe in Switzerland

The Abbey Library of St. Gall in Switzerland is one of the oldest coinuous learning spaces in Europe.

The library’s Rococo Hall coains about 170,000 works, including medieval manuscripts. Visitors should wear soft felt slippers to protect the ceuries-old wooden floors.

The first public library in America

The Palafoxiana Library in Mexico, which was established in 1646, is considered the first public library in the Americas.

It was created by donating the personal collection of Bishop Juan de Palafox to be an open source for studes. The presence of several chained books in this collection shows the old ways of accessing and corolling knowledge.

Paied halls in Prague

Strahov Monastery Library (Strahov Monastery Library) in the Czech Republic includes two main halls “Theology” and “Philosophy”.

The paiings on the ceiling of these halls depict the evolution of human knowledge. The monastery is still active and preserves the living religious tradition that created the library.

The legacy of the Medici in Florence

The Laurenziana Library (Biblioteca Laurenziana) in Italy was designed by Michelangelo in the 1520s. This place was built to store the collection of manuscripts of the powerful Medici family.

Unlike many libraries that rely on decorations, the architecture of this building emphasizes its scieific function and directs natural light io the study space.

Smart veilation system in Spain

The Library of the Monastery of El Escorial in Madrid was founded in the late 16th ceury.

The shelving of this library is designed so that the books are placed vertically along the walls for better veilation; A method that was very advanced in its time. The frescoes of this place depict liberal arts and medieval knowledge.

Wooden masterpiece in South Korea

At Haeinsa Temple, located in Kayasan National Park, South Korea, there is a collection of 15th-ceury wooden buildings that serve as a repository for the Tripitaka Koreana.

This collection coains more than 80,000 wooden blocks of Buddhist texts. The architecture of this building, with its high floors and latticed windows, acts as a natural climate corol system and has protected the wood from moisture and decay for ceuries.