Real Gabinete Português de Leitura – The Portuguese cathedral of culture in Rio de Janeiro

Impressive, magnanimous and highly regarded among intellectuals, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, located in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, is truly an oasis of knowledge. With a collection of more than 350,000 works and considered one of the largest and most important Portuguese language libraries in the world, this is where true relics ‘live’, such as the first edition of Luís de Camões’ “Os Lusíadas”, as well as rare publications from the 15th and 16th centuries.

[...] Considered one of the largest and most important Portuguese language libraries in the world [...]

The story goes that in 1837, 43 Portuguese emigrants in Rio de Janeiro decided to create the library, with the aim of broadening the knowledge of its members and giving Portuguese residents in the then capital of the Empire the opportunity to enlighten their minds. The majority of these men were local merchants, some of whom had been persecuted in Portugal because of absolutism. It should be emphasised that the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura came into being 15 years after Brazil’s independence.
Inspired by the French ‘boutiques à lire’ of the time, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura started out as a small library that housed nothing more than a few hundred books, but over the years the space grew in size and importance. It was in the second half of the 19th century that the management built a larger building in keeping with the importance of the institution. The commemorations of the tricentenary of Camões’ death [1880] were the major pretext for “motivating” the Portuguese colony and pushing ahead with the project. 

The grandeur of the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura thus goes beyond literature. Its building, with architecture inspired by the constructions of the reign of King Manuel I in Portugal and also designed by a Portuguese, the architect Rafael da Silva e Castro, leaves no one indifferent. The façade, inspired by the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, was brought to Rio by ship and features four statues depicting Pedro Álvares Cabral, Luís de Camões, Prince Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama. The medallions on the façade depict the writers Fernão Lopes, Gil Vicente, Alexandre Herculano and Almeida Garrett. 
The interior, which also follows the neo-Manueline style, is a place where visitors will want to stay and be inspired. The ceiling of the Reading Room features a beautiful chandelier and an iron-structured skylight, the first of its kind in Brazilian architecture. The space also features an incredible monument made of silver, ivory and marble, which commemorates the Age of Discovery.

Here literature, thought, information and history can be felt in the air. Books, magazines, newspapers and manuscripts, many of which are rare and valuable, make up the entire collection. We’re talking about one-of-a-kind copies such as the “Ordenações de D. Manuel”, from 1521, or a manuscript of the comedy “Tu, só tu, puro amor”, by Machado de Assis. In addition to its vast collection of books, the library also organises exhibitions, lectures and various other cultural activities throughout the year, including courses on literature and the Portuguese language. The space also has an important collection of paintings by José Malhoa, Carlos Reis, Eduardo Malta, Oswaldo Teixeira and Henrique Medina. 
Keeping up with the times, the Real Gabinete has created a digital library that allows free access to rare and historical works of Portuguese literature, which can be accessed anywhere in the world, perpetuating not only the Portuguese language but also the Portuguese spirit for discovery.

Text: Carla Martins 
Photos: Rights reserved