Oldest Public Library in the Americas is in Mexico

The Biblioteca Palafoxiana in Puebla, Mexico, is the oldest public library in the Americas, as well as one of the most beautiful. In 1640, the Bishop of Puebla, Juan Palafox y Mendoza, donated 5,000 books from his private collection to the seminary of the Colegio de San Juan with the condition that the books be available to anyone who could read, and not just academics, thus creating the first public library of the Americas. In 1773, Bishop Francisco Fabian y Fuero commissioned bookshelves of finely carved cedar, ayacahuite pine, and coloyote wood to house the library's growing collection.

The former Colegio de San Juan is now home to Puebla's Casa de la Cultura cultural center, but the Biblioteca Palafoxiana remains in its original location on the second floor. It occupies a long vaulted hall with a splendid altarpiece from the mid 14th century gracing the far end. The altarpiece is covered with gold leaf, and the center is dominated by a painting of the Madonna of Trapani by Sicilian master Nino Pisano. The library has been recognized for its antiquity, originality and artistic value. In 1981, the Mexican government declared it a historic monument and in 2005, UNESCO added it to the Memory of the World list. A digital catalog of the library's collection was released in 2010.

Gerald A. Padilla
2/10/2017

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