Everyone has some kind of place that makes them feel transported to a magical realm. For some people it's castles with their noble history and crumbling towers. For others it's abandoned factories, ivy choked, a sense of foreboding around every corner. For us here at Curious Expeditions, there has always been something about libraries. Row after row, shelf after shelf, there is nothing more magical than a beautiful old library.
We had a chance to see just such a library on our recent visit to Prague. Tucked away on the top of a hill in Prague is the Strahov Monestary, the second oldest monastery in Prague. Inside, divided into two major halls, is a breathtaking library. The amazing Theological Hall contains 18,000 religious texts, and the grand Philosophical Hall has over 42,000 ancient philosophical texts. Both are stunningly gorgeous. Strahov also contains a beautiful cabinet of curiosities, including bits of a Dodo bird, a large 18th century electrostatic device, numerous wonderfully old ocean specimens, and for unclear reasons many glass cases full of waxen fruit. Our delight was manifest.
Shocked into a library induced euphoria, Curious Expeditions has attempted to gather together the world's most beautiful libraries for you starting with our own pictures of Strahov. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
 Strahov Theological Hall - Original Baroque Cabinets |
 Strahov Theological Hall; Statue of John the Evangelist Holding a Book |
 Strahov Philosophical Hall |
We have compiled a vast compendium of beautiful library pictures after the jump.
 Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland |
 Bernadotte Library, Stockholm Sweden |
 Biblioteca Angelica, Rome, Italy |
 Biblioteca Di Bella Arti, Milan, Italy |
 Biblioteca do Palacio e Convento de Mafra I, Lisbon Coast, Portugal |
 Biblioteca do Palàcio Nacional da Ajuda Lisboa III, Lisbon, Portugal |
 Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal |
 Biblioteca Palafoxiana, Puebla, Mexico |
 Bibliotecha de la Real Academia De La Lengua, Madrid, Spain |
 Bibliotheque Alencon, Normandy, France |
 Bibliothéque Nationale de France, Paris, France |
 Bodlein Library, Oxford University, England |
 Boston Copley Public Library, Boston, USA |
 British Reading Room, British Museum, London, England |
 Casanatense Library, Rome, Italy |
 Cathedral Library, Kalocsa, Hungary |
 Chethems Library, Manchester, UK |
 Dutch Royal Archives Library, Netherlands |
 El Escorial Library, San Lorenzo, Spain |
 Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA |
 George Peabody Library, Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
 Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag, the Hague, Netherlands |
 Hereford Cathedral Chained Library, Hereford, England (Rare books were once kept chained to the bookshelf to prevent stealing.) |
Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar II, Germany |
 Joanina LIbrary University of Coimbra, Portugal |
 Kremsmuenster Abbey Library, Kremsmünster, Upper Austria. |
Part-II:
http://www.linkinn.com/_Librophiliac_Love_Letter_A_Compendium_of_Beautiful_Libraries_part_II
For those of you still in the grip of Librophilia you can have a more immersive experience at the panoramas of the Handelingenkamer and Waldassen libraries, as well as watch a lovely video of the Bernadotte Library. One can find more Strahov pictures at the Curious Expeditions flickr account.
If all this library leering has made you long to hold a book in your hands, then let us suggest "Libraries" by the outstanding photographer Candida Höfer. A number of the more beautiful pictures in this set are by Ms. Höfer. For those looking for a gorgeous library closer to home, look no farther then "Libraries We Love" a book and blog dedicated to wonderful libraries in the U.S. Also of interest is "The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World." If even those can't satisfy your desires try "The Renaissance Library Collection" which sells calenders, greeting cards, and posters of nothing but, yes, libraries.
A tip of the hat to The Nonist and Sheila Omalley who had previously compiled some lovely library images. Finally, if anyone feels that a particularly beautiful library has been overlooked please let us know.
