Biblioteca Palafoxiana

Founded in the mid-seventeenth century, this is considered the first public library in the Americas and preserves its original setting almost intact. Tiered wooden shelves of carved cedar and mahogany rise to the ceiling in a long, gilded reading hall, filling the space with thousands of antique volumes, manuscripts and incunabula. An ornate retablo-style bookcase and a painting of the Virgin close the far end. Recognised for its documentary heritage, the library remains a remarkable survival in Puebla's historic centre.