At the Joanine Library there are worlds inside worlds, inside worlds; here, everything is knowledge and art invites you to discovery. There are thousands of works which lay upon a lavish space full of beauty and exoticism, where the richness of the painted ceilings is in harmony with the balustrades and shelves made of golden leaves and wood from the tropics. Enjoy the scholar knowledge of this bounded treasures here protected by the magnificence of the Joanine Baroque style.
The Joanine Library at Coimbra University, which replaced the old University Book House, owes its name to the monarch who ordered its building in 1717. King John V, the Magnanimous, became known as a great patron of culture, science and arts and this library is a remarkable testimony of the King's cultural policy.
In the portico of the elegant building with four ionic columns, the majestic royal coat of arms in Baroque style stands out, displaying a spirit of magnificence which characterized the most auspicious reign in the History of Portugal.
In this three stores building, two of which are underground, the walls, covered in bookshelves, keep thousands of volumes, especially about Medicine, Geography, History, Humanist Studies, Science, Civil and Canon Law, Philosophy and Theology works.
The Library is just a fraction of the UNESCO Heritage sites in Coimbra, all worth a visit which can take from a morning to a couple of days depending on your itnerest.
