The National Library

The National Library is one of the main icons of the modernization experienced by the city in the past century. The foundation of its collection was the Library of Ajuda in Lisbon, established during the reign of King José I, after the Royal Library was destroyed by the earthquake that struck the Portuguese city in 1755. The collection of the Library of Ajuda accompanied the royal family’s move to Brazil in 1808. Initially, around 60,000 items were brought to Brazil, including books, manuscripts, maps, and other materials. Two additional batches of books arrived in June and November of 1811 and were added to the collection.

View of the building that housed The National Library on Rua do Carmo, date unknown. Unknown author. Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brasiliana Fotográfica/National Library.

In the beginning, the library was housed in the Hospital of the Third Order of Carmelites, near the Imperial Palace. The limitations of the location, which put books and documents at risk, hastened the move. A royal decree issued on October 29, 1810, ordered the collection to be transferred to the former catacombs of the Carmelite monks, which is considered the founding date of what was then called The Royal Library.
The collection remained in the city even after Dom João VI returned to Portugal, and following the declaration of independence, it was renamed the Imperial and Public Library. In 1825, it became the property of the Brazilian State, purchased for 800 contos de réis, a sum considered exorbitant at the time. In 1858, the library was relocated to Rua do Passeio, number 60, in Largo da Lapa, in the building that now houses the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Former Building of The National Library on Rua do Passeio. Unknown author. 1916 [?]. Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brasiliana Fotográfica/National Library.

It was only in 1876 that it officially became The National Library. In the same year the periodical Anais da Biblioteca Nacional (Annals of The National Library) was launched. This publication, which still exists today, shares information about rare documents and curiosities.

The National Library: Building located at numbers 213 to 231. Marc Ferrez, 1910[?]. Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brasiliana Fotográfica/National Library.

The modernization of the city in the early 20th century incorporated cultural elements into its vision of progress, with The National Library serving as a symbol of Brazilian culture and erudition. After Avenida Central was opened, the Library was relocated to its current site. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August, 1905, and the Library was inaugurated 100 years after it was founded, in 1910.

The building was designed by engineer Francisco Marcelino de Souza Aguiar in an eclectic style, blending Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and elements of the Empire, the latter evident in the façades and access stairs. The interior was decorated collaboratively by Eliseu Visconti, the Bernadelli brothers, Modesto Brocos, and Rodolfo Amoedo.

The National Library, Rio de Janeiro, January 1938. National Archive. Correio da Manhã Collection.