Biblioteca Joanina
The Biblioteca Joanina, sometimes known in English as the Joanine Library, is a Baroque library in Coimbra, Portugal, located at the heart of the University of Coimbra. The Biblioteca Joanina is regularly considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.
The Biblioteca Joanina is named after its founder, King John V of Portugal, who began construction on the library in 1717, during the onset of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe. It is home to more than 70,000 volumes, including many priceless, historical documents and first editions. It is registered as a National Monument.
History
The Casa da Livraria, the name that it was known, received its first books in 1750, its construction completed between 1717 and 1728.Architecture
The building has three floors and shelters about 200,000 volumes, of which 40,000 are located on the first floor. These bibliographic collections can be consulted, by request, with justification and motives for the need to consultation. Upon approval, the referenced work is taken to the Biblioteca Geral by a staff member, where the document can be examined.The care taken in this respect is a direct consequence of the rarity and age of the documents in the library; the collection date from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, whose majority represent the best works from Europe at the time. The library contains about 250 thousand volumes, namely works of medicine, geography, history, humanistic studies, science, civil and canon law, philosophy and theology.
Design
The artistry of the library is characterized by its international origin and emphasizes the global reach of the Portuguese Empire. Chinoiserie motifs painted on exotic South American wood were entirely executed by Portuguese artists, with the notable exception being the monumental portrait of King John V of Portugal, executed by Domenico Duprà in 1725.Over the entrance door, the library exhibits the national coat of arms. Inside, there are three great rooms divided by decorated arches, bearing the same style as the portal and entirely executed by Portuguese artists.
The walls are covered by two storied shelves, in gilded or painted exotic woods ; the painted ceilings, by the Lisbon artists Simões Ribeiro and Vicente Nunes, blend harmoniously with the rest of the decoration.