BIBLIOTECA PALAFOXIANA1
BIBLIOTECA PALAFOXIANA1

Northern Mexico

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Central Mexico

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Southern Mexico

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Morelos

Mexico City

Guanajuato

Northern Mexico

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Central Mexico

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Southern Mexico

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It is located in the Casa de Cultura building, formerly the San Juan College.

It is one of the most valuable ancient libraries in Mexico and owes its name to its illustrious founder, Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, who donated his extensive personal library with over 5,000 volumes. This donation was supplemented by contributions from other figures of the time, such as Francisco Fabián y Fuero, Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz, Francisco Pablo Vázquez, and Francisco Irigoyen, among others.

In the late 18th century, the library was enriched with the contents of the Jesuit colleges when the order was expelled from New Spain.

It is the richest library in printed materials in all of Spanish America. Due to its historical significance and treasures, on July 31, 1981, the Mexican government registered it as a Historical Monument, and in 2005, UNESCO awarded it the title of "Memory of the World," recognizing its immense intangible value.

The library features carved cedar bookshelves dating back to 1773, a red tile floor, and onyx-inlaid desks. In addition to the three rows of bookshelves, there are beautiful wooden furniture adorning the space, and at the opposite end, there is a golden altarpiece of the Sicilian Virgin of Trapani.

Currently, the Palafoxian Library houses 43,000 volumes, including a rare incunable, the Nuremberg Chronicle, written by Hartman Schedel in 1493. The book is printed on linen paper with Gothic characters and illustrated with over two thousand engravings. Other important books include an Atlas by Ortelius, printed in Antwerp in 1548; a polyglot Bible or Biblia Regia, written between 1569 and 1573 in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Chaldean; and Jean Francois Champollion's Egyptian Grammar.

Location

Av 5 Ote No. 5, Centro Histórico, Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue.

 

Hours

Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 hrs. Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00 hrs.

Biblioteca Palafoxiana (Library)

A UNESCO WORD HERITAGE SITE, ENCHANTING COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE AND TANTALIZING CUISINE

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