Millenarists endeavour no less than us to satiate their human needs for knowledge and peace of mind. However, the average historical library would fail miserably to entice a gathering of gentlemen of such sophistication, save these few bastions of solitude and wisdom consolidated through the ages.
By Andre Frois
The Mafra Convent Library
Mafra, Portugal
A short distance from the Port of Lisbon, from which discoverers of the new world like Vasco de Gama and Afonso de Albuquerque would sail from, this lanky monolith was built in the Portuguese convention of symmetrical architecture and is ornated with 35,000 books tracing back to as early as the 14th century. Part of the palace King John dedicated to his wife, the Biblioteca do Convento de Mafra is embellished by lucid relief details that are still live on in former colonies like Curacao, Goa, Macau and Malacca. Its ceiling is believed to have once been furnished with gold leaves similar to those gilding the churches of Ouro Preto, Brazil.
The Utrecht University Library
Utrecth, The Netherlands
The city from which Napoleon Bonaparte maintained his stronghold of the surrounding region is highlighted by a modernist architectural wonder. Themed on light and glass, the Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht sports floor-to-ceiling windows that shed the sun’s rays into numerous meeting places and spaces.
The Biblioteca Marciana
Venice, Italy
Shutting out the hubbub of San Marco’s Square, this Italian national treasure bears witness to the rise and sinking of the ancient city-state not only through archaic manuscripts and rustic architecture, but also through a prized archive of sculptures.
The George Peabody Library
Baltimore, US
Built at the epicentre of downtown Baltimore, this beautiful behemoth was the realisation of its namesake philanthropist’s goal to construct a library “which is to be maintained for the free use of all persons who desire to consult it.” Cordoned off rooms are aplenty, where one can envision clandestine individuals soaking up the building’s heritage and solace.
The Strahov Abbey Library
Prague, Czech Republic
Many an uninformed tourist snaps a photograph of this majestic structure and carries on on the beaten path, without stepping within the Strahovský Klášter to bear witness to its unbridled grandeur. Everywhere an entrant gazes, he or she is inundated by passionate artistic detail and lovingly cared for catalogues of yesteryear, both of which have been graced by key figures of the Bohemian Wars, the Velvet Revolution and other pivotal junctures of Slavic history.
Based on: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/27/world/gallery/most-beautiful-libraries-in-the-world/index.html
