Biblioteca Palafoxiana
Biblioteca Palafoxiana
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
A 43,000-volume library located in the Casa de la Cultura.
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4.5
1,008 reviews
Excellent
737
Very good
205
Average
53
Poor
8
Terrible
5
Sandy S
Albuquerque, NM1,035 contributions
Sept 2021
We began our tour of Puebla's Centro Historico with a quick stop at the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, housed in a former seminary that now serves as the city’s Casa Cultura. The gracefully carved bookshelves, stairs and mezzanines created a handsome backdrop for the thousands of antique volumes in the collection, but nothing to compare with libraries of the same or earlier periods we had seen in Bologna, Dublin and elsewhere in Europe. Side galleries in the Casa Cultura featured an interesting temporary exhibit of contemporary prints.
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marilyn C
San Diego, CA471 contributions
June 2021
Beautiful library, but it is only one room. You cannot sit at the tables, and cannot touch the books of course. Not worth the price of admission IMO. If you want to take a picture of the room, just stand in the doorway and do so.
Written 21 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Retired6812
Stillwater, MN219 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We enjoyed our student lead tour of this amazing library (our guide was well worth the 200 pesos). It’s quite unbelievable that this huge room of three tiers of books is hundreds of years old. The bookcases are a marvel and the tables are works of art. No artificial lighting and no heating or cooling, and the books stay preserved. Throughout the building are rooms with art displays- the bronze works were amazing.
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brotherjuniper13
2 contributions
Feb 2023 • Solo
Guruwalks was a great “free” tour of the City Center. Cemitas in the local market we’re great, delicious, enormous and cheap. Hotel Colonial was nice with a great location. I came for the surrounding mountains which did not disappoint.
Written 2 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aaron G
Los Angeles, CA345 contributions
Feb 2023
Biblioteca Palafoxiana is a short stop, as it's really only one room in a larger complex. Basically you do a loop around it, see the old volumes, take some pictures, and you've seen it. With that said, I'm glad we stopped by.
Written 3 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ksufan88
Wichita, KS6,447 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We were in the area of this library on a Tuesday, when it is FREE so why not visit? It is located just south of the Puebla Cathedral and is reached by walking into a courtyard and up a flight of stairs at the far end of the courtyard. Even though all the signs are in Spanish and Latin, it is fairly easy to visualize this library like it was hundreds of years ago with the ancient books on the shelves and beautifully carved woodwork.
Written 25 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gustavo S
Mexico City, Mexico31 contributions
June 2023 • Solo
100% worth it. It's a very quick trip and not too much to see, but it's free and if you're already in the Puebla Center, totally worth checking this out! Very beautiful and interesting history! The first public library in Latin America!
Written 17 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
esthercattan
mexico30 contributions
Aug 2017
It's a library that has more than 250 years old if you love books then you need to come here ask for the guide to tell you all the history behind the place wonderful
Written 13 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
poonhill
washington dc97 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
... not something for everyone but worth the trip if you are into books and libraries... costs money to enter and takes about 20 minutes to explore...
Written 11 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ted M
Vancouver, Canada932 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
A library guard saw us on the street (Ave 5 Ore #5 next to the tourist office) trying to find the place (its on the second floor interior). He offered a free tour in English with a tip after if we were satisfied. First you have buy tickets ($25 Pesos each). It is worth checking it out for its history and architecture.
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana's namesake, Juan Palafox y Mendoza, was bishop of Puebla from 1640 to 1655, and served as viceroy of New Spain. In 1646 he donated 5000 books from his private collection to the seminary of the Colegio de San Juan. He made the donation with the stipulation that the books be available to any literate person, and not just academics, thus establishing the first public library of the Americas.
In 1773, Bishop Francisco Fabian y Fuero commissioned bookshelves made of finely carved cedar, ayacahuite pine, and coloyote wood to house the library's growing collection. An additional tier of shelving was added in the 1800s.
The former Colegio de San Juan is now home to Puebla's Casa de la Cultura cultural center, but the Biblioteca Palafoxiana remains in its original location on the second floor. It occupies a long vaulted hall with a splendid altarpiece from the mid 14th century gracing the far end. The altarpiece is covered with gold leaf, and the center is dominated by a painting of the Madonna of Trapani by Sicilian master Nino Pisano.
The library has been recognized for its antiquity, originality and artistic value: in 1981, the Mexican government declared it a historic monument and in 2005, UNESCO added it to the Memory of the World list. A digital catalog of the library's collection was released in 2010.
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana's namesake, Juan Palafox y Mendoza, was bishop of Puebla from 1640 to 1655, and served as viceroy of New Spain. In 1646 he donated 5000 books from his private collection to the seminary of the Colegio de San Juan. He made the donation with the stipulation that the books be available to any literate person, and not just academics, thus establishing the first public library of the Americas.
In 1773, Bishop Francisco Fabian y Fuero commissioned bookshelves made of finely carved cedar, ayacahuite pine, and coloyote wood to house the library's growing collection. An additional tier of shelving was added in the 1800s.
The former Colegio de San Juan is now home to Puebla's Casa de la Cultura cultural center, but the Biblioteca Palafoxiana remains in its original location on the second floor. It occupies a long vaulted hall with a splendid altarpiece from the mid 14th century gracing the far end. The altarpiece is covered with gold leaf, and the center is dominated by a painting of the Madonna of Trapani by Sicilian master Nino Pisano.
The library has been recognized for its antiquity, originality and artistic value: in 1981, the Mexican government declared it a historic monument and in 2005, UNESCO added it to the Memory of the World list. A digital catalog of the library's collection was released in 2010.
Written 24 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
olá,
sim, a entrada é paga.
a biblioteca fica dentro de um complexo com varias galerias, espaço de apresentação.
mas, só a biblioteca é paga!!
Se puder, vá ao Museu Internacional do barroco, magnifico!!!
abs
Written 23 May 2019
Combien de temps estimé pour visite à peu près
Written 24 September 2018
con la visita guiada por el museo (no es muy grande) y la entrada a la biblioteca requires aproximadamente de 1 1hr para la visita
Written 8 October 2018
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