Royal Portuguese Reading Room — Attraction in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading (Portuguese: Real Gabinete Português de Leitura) is a library and lusophone cultural institution, is located in Luís de Camões Street, number 30, in the center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is listed by the State Institute of Cultural Heritage. Elected the fourth most beautiful library in the world by Time magazine, the Cabinet has the largest collection of Portuguese literature outside Portugal. Opened to the public since 1900, the library of the Royal Cabinet has the largest collection of Portuguese works outside Portugal. Among the 350,000 volumes, both national and foreign, are rare works such as a copy of the "princeps" edition of Os Lusíadas of Camões (1572), the Ordinations of D. Manuel (1521), the Capitolos de Cortes and Leys (1539), Verdadeira informaçam das terras do Preste Joam, segundo vio e escreveo ho padre Francisco Alvarez (1540), a manuscript of the comedy "Tu, só tu, puro amor" by Machado de Assis, and many others. Every year, it receives about six thousand titles from Portugal. There is also an important collection of paintings by José Malhoa, Carlos Reis, Oswaldo Teixeira, Eduardo Malta and Henrique Medina. Every day, it receives, on average, one hundred and fifty visitors. Among its illustrious visitors, from the past, are the names of Machado de Assis, Olavo Bilac and João do Rio. The Royal Cabinet publishes the magazine Convergência Lusíada (semester) and promotes courses on Literature, Portuguese Language, History, Anthropology and Arts, destined mainly for university students. The history of the Brazilian Academy of Letters is linked to that of the Royal Cabinet, since the first five solemn sessions of the Academy, under the presidency of Machado de Assis,...

The doors of this massive library were opened in 1887, bringing a nearly endless collection of Portuguese texts to readers in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of the Empire of Brazil. The cabinet was founded in 1822 by a trio of Portuguese immigrants who wanted to bring their country’s literary tradition to the newly independent nation of Brazil, which had previously been a Portuguese colony since 1500. The collection’s current home was built specifically to house their growing collection, and was designed to evoke a Gothic-Renaissance influence that was popular at the time. At 350,000 titles, the collection soon became the largest collection of Portuguese works outside of Portugal; it includes rare original manuscripts, singular works of literature, and...

If you haven't yet had the chance to visit this library, I highly recommend making it a priority during your time in Rio. This incredible place is truly a sight to behold, with a soaring ceiling and an endless sea of vibrantly colored books that surround you. It's nothing short of amazing!

However, I must caution that the area in which the library is located can be a bit rough. While I wouldn't discourage anyone from visiting, it's essential to exercise extra caution and be aware of your surroundings.

All things considered, the library is an absolute must-visit for book lovers and anyone who appreciates stunning architecture and design. If you have the opportunity to see it in person, I cannot recommend it...