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Photographer Goes Around The World In Search Of The Most Beautiful Libraries, And Here Is What He Found
Aren't libraries just magical? The peaceful silence, the mysteries of hundreds of books, the smell of them... And if the library itself is a Baroque architecture masterpiece it sure helps to increment the fascination. In case that your community hasn't been blessed with a local library resembling the one in Hogwarts, we can offer a picture list of the most beautiful ones for you to dwell on.
Italian artist Massimo Listri has traveled around the world capturing the beauty of the most famous libraries. The chosen institutions, revered for their historical value, architectural relevance and preciousness of the books they keep, are standalone works of art. For those lucky enough to visit these design marvels, spending a whole day at the library doesn't sound so bad!
Most of these ornate bibliothecas aren't open for civic uses, so Listri's pictures can take you on tour to those kept from the public eye. From Gothic architecture halls to gilded public libraries, these magnificent establishments can leave you in awe.
Scroll down and let your bibliophile side marvel at the charm the likes of which only these libraries can offer!
More info: Instagram | massimolistri.com
This post may include affiliate links.
Baroque Architecture Library Of Saint Gall, Gallen, Switzerland
Palace Of Mafra Library, Mafra, Portugal
I kind of like the artistic license that is being taken in the photos. At the same time, I don't want people to think this is exactly what they'll see if they went there in person: http://lisbonlovers.com/page.php?p=278&cat=
Famous Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
Metten Abbey Library, Metten, Germany
Library Of Fermo, Fermo, Italy
Royal Portuguese Cabinet Of Reading, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Wiblingen Abbey Library, Wiblingen, Germany
Sainte-Geneviève Public Library, Paris, France
Riccardian Library, Firenze, Italy
Seitenstetten Abbey Library, Seitenstetten, Austria
Library Of The Monastery Of San Francisco, Peru, South America
Wiblingen Abbey Library, Wiblingen, Germany
Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic
National Library Of St Mark's, Venice, Italy
Marucelliana Library, Florence, Italy
Escorial Library, Madrid, Spain
Admont Abbey Library, Admont, Austria
Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, Germany
Saint Emmeram's Abbey Library, Regensburg, Germany
Ottobeuren Abbey Library, Ottobeuren, Germany
Melk Abbey Library, Melk, Austria
State Library Oratoriana Girolami, Napoli, Italy
Joanina Library, Coimbra, Portugal
They keep bats in this one to get rid of bugs that might harm the books
Codrington Library, Oxford, Uk
Palatina Library, Parma Italy
Library Of Duke D'aumale, Sicily, Italy
The Duke library is in France, in the Chantilly castle about an houre frome Paris. I have been myself, I think if I had have to made the journey to sicily I would have notice.
Padula Charterhouse Library, Padula, Italy
General Archive Of The Indies, Seville, Spain
Palafoxiana Library, Puebla, Mexico
Braidense National Library, Milan, Italy
Academy Of Science, Torino, Italy
Angelica Library, Rome, Italy
Vatican Apostolic Library, Vatican City
Yeah the secret library is what I want to see, not the public one... So much information behind locked doors.
Palermo Public Library, Palermo, Italy
The Crociera Library, Rome, Italy
Taipei Public Library, Taipei City, Taiwan
Corsiniana Library, Rome, Italy
Casanata Library, Rome, Italy
Vallicelliana Library, Rome, Italy
Palazzo Altieri Library, Rome, Italy
Public Library Of Imola, Imola, Italy
They are beautiful, but, personally, I love all the small town libraries where I have spent hundreds of hours, with so many dedicated librarians!
Downvoted. For some reason instead of just properly doing the white balance, the poster has changed so many of these photos to give a different enough look to these places that the whole article gives a bit of a false impression. What is to be gained by purposely altering the look of what these places actually look like since what they really look like is the whole point of the article?
Totally agreed, i stopped watching after page 2 because the photoshop was being too intense and i don't know if i can trust anything anymore in this post about how it does look or not...
Load More Replies...The blue shelves were over the top, but the rest are only a matter of lighting and the choices the photographer made about it.
Load More Replies...As a person who loves to read I could spend days in any one of these libraries.
Here in Hong Kong, our Central Library in Causeway Bay has two huge flights of stairs leading up to the entrance. On each stair is a famous quote about knowledge in English or Chinese. We have a globe fountain and a outdoor podium with cafes and bookstores. It's where I fell in love with reading, and some of the quotes on the stairs has become my mottos. I couldn't wish for better--- it's not as extravagant as the ones pictured above but I'm happy as long as I have a neverending supply of books :)
These are all fascinating, but I think the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library in Budapest, Hungary should be on the list too! :) f7719bdbc8...521aac.jpg
Melbourne Australia has a wonderful reading room https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/visit/our-magnificent-spaces/la-trobe-reading-room
heres what we have in Melbourne Australia https://www.google.com.au/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x6ad642cb954b1ce9%3A0xf187674ba9830e78!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPlLA6b1_cAHab22kOXmt8DYsoF13gjOoM-48w4%3Dw280-h320-k-no!5sthe%20Dome%20Victoria%20State%20Library%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipPlLA6b1_cAHab22kOXmt8DYsoF13gjOoM-48w4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEhOeuqd_4AhXvTmwGHfmHCXUQoip6BAhdEAM
If you are interested in modern architecture as well please check out this site for some really exciting modern libraries: https://hu.pinterest.com/liasantgr/most-beautiful-modern-libraries/?lp=true
What about this one in the Cistercian Abbey situated in Zirc, Hungary? zircciszte...48b05d.jpg
Missing The National Library of Austria in Vienna https://goo.gl/images/LPr2Jz
And to think I spent so much time looking at churches while I was in Italy!! I should have been going to libraries!!!
Im quite dissapointed that there Is only one library from czech republic. We have many other, for example Metternich's library in Palace Kynzvart, or the library in Tepla monastery, or the Monastery Kladruby....
So Photoshoped that I can't begin to believe that this is what the libraries look like.
so..... apparently there's a high concentration of nice libraries in europe?... there are beautiful libraries at the university of washington and at the new york public library (central branch)!
Haha, I thought the same. Notwithstanding the beautiful architecture and amazing photos, but, perhaps the title should be traveled through many European countries and a few spots in America to take pictures of libraries.
Load More Replies...Downvoted. For some reason instead of just properly doing the white balance, the poster has changed so many of these photos to give a different enough look to these places that the whole article gives a bit of a false impression. What is to be gained by purposely altering the look of what these places actually look like since what they really look like is the whole point of the article?
Totally agreed, i stopped watching after page 2 because the photoshop was being too intense and i don't know if i can trust anything anymore in this post about how it does look or not...
Load More Replies...The blue shelves were over the top, but the rest are only a matter of lighting and the choices the photographer made about it.
Load More Replies...As a person who loves to read I could spend days in any one of these libraries.
Here in Hong Kong, our Central Library in Causeway Bay has two huge flights of stairs leading up to the entrance. On each stair is a famous quote about knowledge in English or Chinese. We have a globe fountain and a outdoor podium with cafes and bookstores. It's where I fell in love with reading, and some of the quotes on the stairs has become my mottos. I couldn't wish for better--- it's not as extravagant as the ones pictured above but I'm happy as long as I have a neverending supply of books :)
These are all fascinating, but I think the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library in Budapest, Hungary should be on the list too! :) f7719bdbc8...521aac.jpg
Melbourne Australia has a wonderful reading room https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/visit/our-magnificent-spaces/la-trobe-reading-room
heres what we have in Melbourne Australia https://www.google.com.au/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x6ad642cb954b1ce9%3A0xf187674ba9830e78!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPlLA6b1_cAHab22kOXmt8DYsoF13gjOoM-48w4%3Dw280-h320-k-no!5sthe%20Dome%20Victoria%20State%20Library%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipPlLA6b1_cAHab22kOXmt8DYsoF13gjOoM-48w4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEhOeuqd_4AhXvTmwGHfmHCXUQoip6BAhdEAM
If you are interested in modern architecture as well please check out this site for some really exciting modern libraries: https://hu.pinterest.com/liasantgr/most-beautiful-modern-libraries/?lp=true
What about this one in the Cistercian Abbey situated in Zirc, Hungary? zircciszte...48b05d.jpg
Missing The National Library of Austria in Vienna https://goo.gl/images/LPr2Jz
And to think I spent so much time looking at churches while I was in Italy!! I should have been going to libraries!!!
Im quite dissapointed that there Is only one library from czech republic. We have many other, for example Metternich's library in Palace Kynzvart, or the library in Tepla monastery, or the Monastery Kladruby....
So Photoshoped that I can't begin to believe that this is what the libraries look like.
so..... apparently there's a high concentration of nice libraries in europe?... there are beautiful libraries at the university of washington and at the new york public library (central branch)!
Haha, I thought the same. Notwithstanding the beautiful architecture and amazing photos, but, perhaps the title should be traveled through many European countries and a few spots in America to take pictures of libraries.
Load More Replies...