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The Biblioteca Palafoxiana is a library in
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana owes its name and foundation to 
More than a century later, Francisco Fabián y Fuero ordered the construction of the premises which currently house the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. He donated his own collection, and the collections of the bishops
Digitized books from the Biblioteca Palafoxiana
{{Authority control 1646 establishments in the Spanish Empire Buildings and structures in Puebla Cultural infrastructure completed in 1773 Education in Puebla Libraries in Mexico Library buildings completed in the 18th century Memory of the World Register Historic centre of Puebla Baroque architecture in Puebla
Puebla City
Puebla de Zaragoza (; nah, Cuetlaxcoapan), formally Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, formerly Puebla de los Ángeles during colonial times, or known in English simply as Puebla, is the seat of Puebla Municipality. It is the capital and largest city ...
's historic centre, in the Mexican state of Puebla. Founded in 1646, it is recognized by the UNESCO for being the first and oldest public library in the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
, It has more than 45,000 books and manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to the 20th century. In 2005, it was listed on UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
's Memory of the World Register
Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered ...
.
History
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana owes its name and foundation to Juan de Palafox y Mendoza
Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (26 June 1600 – 1 October 1659) was a Spanish politician, administrator, and Catholic clergyman in 17th century Spain and a viceroy of Mexico.
Palafox was the Bishop of Puebla (1640−1655), and the interim Archbisho ...
, bishop of Puebla. He was a lover of books, and is quoted as having said,
On 6 September 1646, Palafox y Mendoza donated 5,000 of his own items to the Colegio de San Juan—which was founded by him—on the condition that they be made available to the general public. He wrote that "it is very useful and convenient that there should be in this city and kingdom a public library, where all sorts of people will be able to study as they wish".
More than a century later, Francisco Fabián y Fuero ordered the construction of the premises which currently house the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. He donated his own collection, and the collections of the bishops Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz
Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz y Sahagún (18 January 1637, Palencia (Spain) – 1 February 1699, Puebla (Mexico)) was a religious writer and Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Guadalajara (19 February 1674 – 2 June 1676),
and Francisco Pablo Vázquez and the dean of the Francisco Irigoyen Cathedral were gradually added, as were volumes from Pueblan religious schools and individuals. Books confiscated from Jesuits upon their expulsion in 1767 were also added.
The library was finished in 1773, consisting of a 43-meter-long vaulted
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...
hall on the Colegio's second floor. Two levels of bookshelves were built, and a retablo
A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...
of the Madonna of Trapani by Nino Pisano
"Euclid", panel from Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_ Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo_(Florence)">Museo_dell'Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence_">Florence.html"_;"title="Museo_dell'Opera_ ...
was acquired. By the mid-19th century, the size of the collection necessitated a third level of bookshelves.
Two earthquakes in 1999 caused damage to the building and shelves, leading to a restoration program in 2001. The library is open Tuesday through Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
The library has, since its inception, been used by any person who wishes to study.
Today, it houses the Institute for Bibliographical Research which has been in charge of publishing "Los Impresos de la Biblioteca Palafoxiana" promoting the historical value of the collections and its museum.
Collections
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana has more than 41,000 books and manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to the 20th century. It has three major collections: old books, manuscripts, and pamphlets and broadsheets. It also has nine incunabula. The oldest text in the library is the Nuremberg Chronicle dated 1493.See also
* Casa de la Cultura *List of libraries in Mexico
The following is list of libraries in Mexico.
Libraries in Mexico
* Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin
* Biblioteca Central (UNAM)
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* Biblioteca Palafoxiana
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* Biblioteca Vasconcelos
* Cervantine Library
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* Francisco Xavi ...
* List of oldest buildings in the Americas
This article lists the oldest known surviving buildings constructed in the Americas, including on each of the regions and within each country.
"Building" is defined as any human-made structure used or interface for supporting or sheltering any use ...
References
External links
*Digitized books from the Biblioteca Palafoxiana
{{Authority control 1646 establishments in the Spanish Empire Buildings and structures in Puebla Cultural infrastructure completed in 1773 Education in Puebla Libraries in Mexico Library buildings completed in the 18th century Memory of the World Register Historic centre of Puebla Baroque architecture in Puebla