Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading
Time magazine once ranked this reading room the fourth most beautiful library in the world. It stands on Luís de Camões Street in central Rio de Janeiro.
Visitors still pause here, because Time magazine ranked this reading room the fourth most beautiful library in the world.
The carved stone front holds a heritage listing, and the State Institute of Cultural Heritage records its cultural value.
Inside, carved wood balconies and a glass ceiling wrap more than 350,000 volumes in the Neo-Manueline hall.
Layered stone arches rise over the old street, the gable dense with carving above the entrance.
From Lapa, the Cabinet is about 10 minutes on foot, close enough for an afternoon among the shelves.
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Stay nearby
Stay at Mural da Lapa; the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading is about 10 minutes on foot.