Step off a busy commercial street in the centre of Rio, through a carved stone doorway, and you find yourself in one of the most beautiful rooms in the Americas. The Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura, the Royal Portuguese Reading Room, was founded on 14 May 1837 by a group of Portuguese immigrants who wanted to promote the culture and literature of their homeland in the former colony. Its present building, completed in the late nineteenth century, is a showpiece of the neo-Manueline style, a Romantic revival of the exuberant Portuguese Gothic of the age of the great voyages, with its twisted ropes, armillary spheres and maritime motifs. The limestone facade is carved with statues of Portuguese explorers and writers, among them Pedro Alvares Cabral, the navigator who reached Brazil in 1500, and Luis de Camoes, the national poet. Inside, the great reading room rises three storeys to a magnificent stained-glass skylight supported on an iron frame, and every wall is lined from floor to ceiling with dark carved wooden bookcases, reached by delicate iron galleries. A huge chandelier hangs in the centre, and display cases hold rare books and treasures. According to Riotur, the collection holds about 350,000 titles by Portuguese authors, making it the largest collection of Portuguese literature outside Portugal, and it includes rare editions and manuscripts. It remains a working library, used by researchers, and visitors are welcome to look around quietly. The Real Gabinete has been named on international lists of the most beautiful libraries in the world, and a Riotur feature celebrated it as one of the ten most beautiful. It is free to enter, opens on weekdays, and takes only twenty minutes to see, which makes it the perfect stop in a day in the historic centre.
Practical details: Riotur lists the address as Rua Luis de Camoes 30, in the Centro district near Praca Tiradentes, and the opening hours as Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. It is closed at weekends, which catches many visitors out, so plan a weekday. Entry is free, though donations are welcome. Visitors are asked to keep quiet, not to touch the books and to avoid flash photography, as this is a working library.
How to visit: arrive in the morning for fewer people and the softest light through the skylight. Look up first, then take in the carved bookcases and the display cases of rare books. The library is a few minutes from the Theatro Municipal, the Confeitaria Colombo and the Carioca metro station, so a walking route through the centre can link all of them in a morning. The streets around Praca Tiradentes and the Saara market are busy, so keep valuables out of sight.
Who it suits: book lovers, of course, but also anyone with a feel for architecture and atmosphere; even non-readers usually gasp when they enter. Photographers love the symmetry of the room. It is a short and quiet stop, so it suits adults and older children better than toddlers.
What to expect
The experience
A working nineteenth-century library with a three-storey reading room of carved bookcases, iron galleries and a stained-glass skylight, open to quiet visitors on weekdays.
Best time
A weekday morning; it is closed at weekends.
How long
Twenty to forty minutes.
Tips
Keep quiet, skip the flash and do not touch the books. Combine with the Theatro Municipal and Confeitaria Colombo on a walk through the centre.
Quick picks
- Best for
- One of the most beautiful rooms in Rio, in twenty minutes and for free.
- Families
- A short, quiet stop for older children who like the Harry Potter feel of the room.
- Couples
- A romantic surprise on a morning walk through the centre, followed by tea at Colombo.
- Pair with
- Confeitaria Colombo, the Theatro Municipal and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
- Time needed
- Under an hour.
Good questions
Is the Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura free?+
Yes, entry is free. It is a working library, so visitors are asked to be quiet and avoid flash photography.
When is the Real Gabinete open?+
Riotur lists it as open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. It is closed at weekends.
How many books does it hold?+
About 350,000 titles by Portuguese authors, according to Riotur, which makes it the largest collection of Portuguese literature outside Portugal.
When was it founded?+
The institution was founded on 14 May 1837 by Portuguese immigrants; its neo-Manueline building dates from the late nineteenth century.
Where is it?+
At Rua Luis de Camoes 30 in the Centro district, near Praca Tiradentes and a short walk from the Carioca metro station and the Theatro Municipal.
