The vaulted hall
Three tiers of shelves.
Luis Alvaz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luis Alvaz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Miguel Angel Alvarez Bernardo — CC BY-SA 2.0 · PaulAsimov — CC BY-SA 4.0
The first and oldest public library in the Americas, founded in 1646 by the Bishop of Puebla, Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, when he gave five thousand books from his own library to a college he had founded, on condition that they be open to the public. It has been on UNESCO's Memory of the World register since 2005. The library now holds more than 45,000 books and manuscripts from the 15th to the 20th century, on religion, philosophy, medicine, law, science and languages. Among its treasures are books printed in the first years of printing in Europe. The finest thing is the hall itself: a long vaulted room with shelves of cedar and pine on three levels, filled to the ceiling with old leather-bound volumes, with old reading tables on the floor. Visitors view the hall from a set walkway without touching the books. The visit is short, so combine it with a walk around Puebla's historic centre, on UNESCO's list, with its buildings clad in colourful Talavera tiles. Entry is free on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Three tiers of shelves.
From the 15th century.
Talavera-tiled streets.
First floor of the Casa de la Cultura, Calle 5 Oriente, historic centre of Puebla
No, visitors view the hall from a set walkway to protect the old books. Researchers can request access to the collection in advance.