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Old books on carved wooden shelves under the vaulted ceiling of the Biblioteca Palafoxiana

Library

Biblioteca Palafoxiana

Behind the cathedral, up a stone staircase in the old seminary, is the Biblioteca Palafoxiana: a long baroque hall with three tiers of carved wooden shelves full of old books. Founded in 1646, it is considered the first public library in the Americas.

Why visit

Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza gave his own collection of about 5,000 books to the seminary of Puebla in 1646, on the condition that anyone who wanted to read could use them. Later bishops added to it, and in the 18th century the library moved into the hall you see today. UNESCO added it to its Memory of the World register in 2005.

What to see

  • The hall: a long vaulted room with three levels of cedar and pine shelves, reached by narrow wooden stairs.
  • The books: works on theology, law, medicine, science and history in many languages, the oldest printed in the 15th century, including a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493.
  • The altarpiece: a gilded altarpiece with a painting of the Virgin of Trapani at the end of the hall.
  • The rotating book stand: a wooden wheel that let readers study several books at once.

Visiting

You see the library from the doorway area and a walkway, not from the shelves, and the books themselves are behind ropes. The visit is short, but the room is unforgettable. Researchers can ask for access to the collection.

Tips

  • There is a small entry fee, and the library is usually closed on Mondays.
  • Go early in the day, before tour groups arrive.
  • See the cathedral and the Museo Amparo nearby on the same morning.
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