Mexico/Puebla: Puebla – Biblioteca Palafoxiana
Biblioteca Palafoxiana in the heart of Puebla was founded in 1646 and was the first and remains the oldest public library in the Western Hemisphere. There are over 45,000 books and old manuscripts from 15th to 20th century. The oldest text in the library is the Nuremberg Cronicle dated 1493. The library was founded by Juan Palafox y Mendoza, the Bishop of Puebla, who donated 5,000 of his own books and said “”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. He who succeeds without books is in an inconsolable darkness, on a mountain without company, in darkness without a guide.” The library has a single vaulted room with books stored and displayed on two levels floor-to-ceiling.
