Joanine Library

Coimbra

The Biblioteca Joanina is a Baroque library located on the campus of the University of Coimbra in Coimbra, Portugal. 

It was built in the 18th century during the reign of King João V and is considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.

The library features ornate gilded decorations, intricate carvings, and frescoes painted by Portuguese artist António Simões Ribeiro. The walls are lined with shelves of ancient books, including a collection of over 60,000 volumes on subjects such as law, medicine, philosophy, theology, and science.

One of the most interesting features of the Biblioteca Joanina is the colony of bats that live in the library's ceilings. The bats were introduced in the 18th century to control the insect population that threatened the library's books and have been living in the library ever since.

Today, the Biblioteca Joanina is open to the public for guided tours, where visitors can see the library's stunning architecture and learn about its history and collection.