Biblioteca Palafoxiana (Palafoxiana Library), Puebla (must see)
The Palafoxiana Library (Biblioteca Palafoxiana) is a historic library in Puebla City, Mexico. Established in 1646, it holds over 45,000 books and manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to the 20th century. It is the first and oldest public library in the Americas.
The library was named for Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Bishop of Puebla. Palafox y Mendoza donated 5,000 volumes to the College of San Juan to create a library.
The building that holds the Library Palafoxiana was completed in 1773 at the behest of Francisco Fabian y Fuero, a Spanish Roman Catholic Bishop. In addition to Palafox y Mendoza's donation, Fabian y Fuero donated his books and those of bishops Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz and Francisco Pablo Vazquez. In addition, books confiscated from Jesuits and religious schools were placed in the library. The oldest text in the library is "The Nuremberg Chronicle," one of the best-documented early printed books written by Hartmann Schedel in 1493.
The Palafoxiana Library is listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The library is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
The library was named for Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Bishop of Puebla. Palafox y Mendoza donated 5,000 volumes to the College of San Juan to create a library.
The building that holds the Library Palafoxiana was completed in 1773 at the behest of Francisco Fabian y Fuero, a Spanish Roman Catholic Bishop. In addition to Palafox y Mendoza's donation, Fabian y Fuero donated his books and those of bishops Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz and Francisco Pablo Vazquez. In addition, books confiscated from Jesuits and religious schools were placed in the library. The oldest text in the library is "The Nuremberg Chronicle," one of the best-documented early printed books written by Hartmann Schedel in 1493.
The Palafoxiana Library is listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The library is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Puebla. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Biblioteca Palafoxiana (Palafoxiana Library) on Map
Sight Name: Biblioteca Palafoxiana (Palafoxiana Library)
Sight Location: Puebla, Mexico (See walking tours in Puebla)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Puebla, Mexico (See walking tours in Puebla)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Puebla, Mexico
Create Your Own Walk in Puebla
Creating your own self-guided walk in Puebla is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Puebla Introduction Walking Tour
The city of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla and the fourth largest city in Mexico. It was founded in 1531 in an uninhabited area between two indigenous settlements of the time, Tlaxcala and Cholula. The area used to be called Cuetlaxcoapan, which means "where serpents change their skin".
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés occupied the Puebla region in 1519, killing most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés occupied the Puebla region in 1519, killing most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Puebla Food Tasting and Shopping Tour
Among other delights that the Mexican city of Puebla can pride itself on is the abundant food and shopping scene fit to delight even the most discerning travelers with an array of colors and flavors to treat themselves to.
One spot to visit for non-trivial shopping is the Alley of the Frogs (Callejón de los Sapos), where antique stores and vendors line the cobblestone streets, offering a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
One spot to visit for non-trivial shopping is the Alley of the Frogs (Callejón de los Sapos), where antique stores and vendors line the cobblestone streets, offering a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Puebla Colonial Architecture Walking Tour
One of the most authentic and traditional destinations in Mexico, the city of Puebla abounds in Baroque architecture, or rather the peculiar regional form thereof resulted from the fusion of European and indigenous styles in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Visiting this magical place you will find lots of (more than 70!) sumptuous churches, convents and sanctuaries, as well as other incredible... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Visiting this magical place you will find lots of (more than 70!) sumptuous churches, convents and sanctuaries, as well as other incredible... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles