The things that excite a librarian! I went to the University in Coimbra to see the famous library, Baroque Library, Biblioteca Joanina, Biblioteca Geral, three names, all one library. It was magnificent. They only let a dozen or so people in each 1/2 hour. There were 6 of us in my time slot. I asked the docent questions, like how do you get to the second floor with a balcony around it. Well, I was the only one left and he took me upstairs and took out a volume from 1523! I touched it, he said I could photograph it but I didn't. An almost 5oo year old book, the bindings were deteriorating but the paper was in good shape. He showed me how the ladders were hidden in the wall between the shelves. Honor, Virtue, Fame and Fortune were in one ceiling mural, Fortune had two faces that he pointed out to me. Asian designs on the ends of the shelves.
It was a quiet day here, a national holiday.
Beautiful town and surroundings, very typical Portuguese, wonderful views, accomodating, places for people to walk and talk, and also crumbling tile benches and persistent grafitti. Old and new side by side .
2 comments:
Linda, I agree - the library is out of this world. I've been to another incredible library - this one is in Switzerland. Check it out when you get a minute: http://www.stiftsbibliothek.ch/site/content.asp?typ=Actual&art=bt&lang=EN
Ramona
wow.... now thats a library...
so huge.... i wish we had one of those over here... well i dont really know if there is one over here... lol
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