生活美學: 世界圖書館

Feb 2012
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Everyone has some kind of place that makes them feel transported to a magical realm. For some people it's castles with their noble history and crumbling towers. For others it's abandoned factories, ivy choked, a sense of foreboding around every corner. For us here at Curious Expeditions, there has always been something about libraries. Row after row, shelf after shelf, there is nothing more magical than a beautiful old library.

We had a chance to see just such a library on our recent visit to Prague. Tucked away on the top of a hill in Prague is the Strahov Monestary, the second oldest monastery in Prague. Inside, divided into two major halls, is a breathtaking library. The amazing Theological Hall contains 18,000 religious texts, and the grand Philosophical Hall has over 42,000 ancient philosophical texts. Both are stunningly gorgeous. Strahov also contains a beautiful cabinet of curiosities, including bits of a Dodo bird, a large 18th century electrostatic device, numerous wonderfully old ocean specimens, and for unclear reasons many glass cases full of waxen fruit. Our delight was manifest.

Shocked into a library induced euphoria, Curious Expeditions has attempted to gather together the world's most beautiful libraries for you starting with our own pictures of Strahov. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Strahov Theological Hall - Original Baroque Cabinets

Strahov Theological Hall; Statue of John the Evangelist Holding a Book

Strahov Philosophical Hall

We have compiled a vast compendium of beautiful library pictures after the jump.

STIFTSBIBLIOTHEK-ST.-GALLEN%20%28%29.jpg

Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland

Angelica Library, Rome, Italy

August Herzog Library, Wolfenbüttel, Germany

Beatus Rhenanus Library, Basel, Switzerland

Bernadotte Library, Stockholm Sweden

Biblioteca Angelica, Rome, Italy

Biblioteca%20di%20Belle%20Arti%20Milano%20I.jpg

Biblioteca Di Bella Arti, Milan, Italy

Biblioteca%20do%20Palacio%20e%20Convento%20de%20Mafra%20I.jpg

Biblioteca do Palacio e Convento de Mafra I, Lisbon Coast, Portugal

Biblioteca%20do%20Pal%C3%A0cio%20Nacional%20da%20Ajuda%20Lisboa%20III%202006.jpg

Biblioteca do Palàcio Nacional da Ajuda Lisboa III, Lisbon, Portugal

Biblioteca%20Geral%20da%20Universidade%20de%20Coimbra%20IV.jpg

Biblioteca Geral University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Biblioteca Palafoxiana, Puebla, Mexico

Biblioteca%20de%20la%20Real%20Academia%20De%20La%20Lengua%2C%20Madrid%2C%20Spain%201.jpg

Bibliotecha de la Real Academia De La Lengua, Madrid, Spain

Bibliotheque Alencon, Normandy, France

Bibliothéque Nationale de France, Paris, France

Bodleian Library, Oxford University, England

Boston Copley Public Library, Boston, USA

Old British Reading Room, British Museum, London, England

Casanatense Library, Rome, Italy

Cathedral Library, Kalocsa, Hungary

Chetham%27s%20Library%2C%20Manchester%202.jpg

Chetham's Library, Manchester, UK

Dutch Royal Archives Library, Netherlands

El%20Escorial%20Library%2C%20San%20Lorenzo%20de%20El%20Escorial%2C%20Spain.jpg

El Escorial Library, San Lorenzo, Spain

Frederick%20Ferris%20Thompson%20Memorial%20Library.jpg

Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

George Peabody Library, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

HANDELINGENKAMER-TWEEDE-KAM%20%28%29.jpg

Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag, the Hague, Netherlands

Hereford%20Cathedral%20Chained%20Library.jpg

Hereford Cathedral Chained Library, Hereford, England (Rare books were once kept chained to the bookshelf to prevent stealing.)

Herzogin%20Anna%20Amalia%20Bibliothek%20Weimar%20II%2C%20Germany

Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar II, Germany

Joanina%20Library%2C%20University%20of%20Coimbra%2C%20Portugal%2C.jpg

Joanina LIbrary University of Coimbra, Portugal

Kremsmuenster Abbey Library, Kremsmünster, Upper Austria.

Library%20of%20Castilla-La%20Mancha%202.jpg

Biblioteca Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA

%20Library%20of%20Parliament%2C%20Ottawa%2C%20Canada.jpg

Library of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada

Library%20of%20St.%20Walburga%2C%20Zutphen%2C%20Netherlands.jpg

Library of St. Walburga, Zutphen, Netherland (Preserved from the 16th century)

Library of the Benedictine Monastery of Admont, Austria

Library%20of%20the%20National%20Palace%20of%20Mafra.jpg

Library of the National Palace of Mafra, Portugal

Library%20of%20the%20Prussian%20King%20Frederic%20the%20Second%20in%20Potsdam%2C%20Germany.jpg

Library of the Prussian King Frederic the Second in Potsdam, Germany

Melk Monastery Library, Melk, Austria

National%20Art%20Library%2C%20Victoria%20%26%20Albert%20Museum.jpg

National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

North%20Reading%20Room%2C%20UC%20Berkeley%2C%20California%2C%20USA.jpg

North Reading Room, UC Berkeley, California, USA (Terrific reader suggestion)

New York Public Library, New York, USA

Library%20collection%20of%20Antwerp%27s%20biggest%20publisher%2C%20Plantin-Moretus%20.jpg

Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp, Belgium

Queen%27s%20College%20Library%2C%20Oxford.jpg

Queen's College Library Oxford

Real%20Gabinete%20Portugues%20De%20Leitura%20Rio%20De%20Janeiro%203.jpg

Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Possibly the most beautiful library of them all.)

Rennie Mackintosh Library, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland (Added on excellent reader suggestion.)

Riggs Library, Georgetown University, USA

Rijkmuseum Library, Amsterdam

Riksdagen Library, Swedish Parliament Library, Stockholm, Sweden

Russian National Library, St. Petersburg

St.%20Florian%20Monastery%20Library%202.jpg

St. Florian Monastery-Library, Austria

Salamanca Library, Salamanca, Spain

Sansovino Library, Rome, Italy

Sorbonne Library, Paris, France

State Library, Victoria, Australia

STIFTSBIBLIOTHEK-KLOSTERNEU%20%28%29.jpg

Stiftsbibliothek Klosterneuburg, Klosterneuburg, Austria

Suzzallo Library, Seattle, Washington, USA

The%20New%20Library%20of%20the%20Royal%20College%20of%20Physicians%20of%20Edinburgh.jpg

The New Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Theology%20Room%20at%20St.%20Deiniol%27s%20library%2C%20North%20Wales.jpg

Theology Room at St. Deiniol's library, North Wales

TRINITY-COLLEGE-LIBRARY-DUB%20%28%29.jpg

Trinity College LIbrary, AKA, The Long Room, Dublin, Ireland

University%20Library%2C%20Helsinki%2C%20Finland%20Small.jpg

University-Library, Helsinki, Finland

Vatican Library, Vatican City, Rome

Vienna%20Austrian%20National%20Library.jpg

Austrian National Library, Vienna, Austria

Waldsassen Abbey Library, Bavaria, Germany

Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, England

Yale%2C%20Beinecke%20Rare%20Book%20and%20Manuscript%20Library.jpg

Yale, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

For those of you still in the grip of Librophilia you can have a more immersive experience at the panoramas of the Handelingenkamer and Waldassen libraries, as well as watch a lovely video of the Bernadotte Library. One can find more Strahov pictures at the Curious Expeditions flickr account.

If all this library leering has made you long to hold a book in your hands, then let us suggest "Libraries" by the outstanding photographer Candida Höfer. A number of the more beautiful pictures in this set are by Ms. Höfer. For those looking for a gorgeous library closer to home, look no farther then "Libraries We Love" a book and blog dedicated to wonderful libraries in the U.S. Also of interest is "The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World." If even those can't satisfy your desires try "The Renaissance Library Collection" which sells calenders, greeting cards, and posters of nothing but, yes, libraries.

A tip of the hat to excellent blogs The Nonist and Sheila Omalley who had previously compiled some lovely library images. A number of the beautiful images in the compendium are from that ever wonderful resource Flickr.