NATIONAL LIBRARY, Historical Notes

Hi, I'm Alyson, your personal guide. Together with MyWoWo, I'd like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world.

Today I'll accompany you through the National Library of Spain, which is one of the most peaceful places in Madrid!

This venerable institution was founded in the early 1700s by Philip V as the "Royal Library" thanks to the fact that its first nucleus belonged to the royal collections. In its three centuries of existence it has changed several locations and names, until it finally settled permanently in the palace in front of you. In 1866 Queen Isabella laid the first stone of what became the "Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales," which was initially also home to the National Archaeological Museum.

Rising above the portico of this neo-classical two-story building are statues of famous writers who almost seem to welcome you to the temple of knowledge. In the foreground, seated and immersed in reading, we can see San Isidro (Madrid's patron saint) and to his right sits the most learned King in Spain's history, Alfonso X, who not surprisingly was nicknamed "The Wise". In the background behind them we can see the Nebrija humanists and Luis Vives, the playwright Lope de Vega, and the legendary author of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes....