Uppsala University Library, Research library at Uppsala University, Sweden
Carolina Rediviva is the main library of Uppsala University, housed in a neoclassical building from the early 19th century with a symmetrical facade and tall columns. The library holds millions of books, manuscripts, and maps kept across several reading rooms and storage areas.
The library was founded in 1620 by King Gustav II Adolf, who donated his own books and manuscripts as the first collection. The current building was completed in the first half of the 19th century to house the growing number of volumes.
The library holds the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century Gothic Bible translation written in gold and silver ink on purple parchment. Visitors can see this object in a dedicated display and get a direct sense of what early written culture in northern Europe looked like.
The library is open to both university members and the general public, though some areas and special collections require a reader's card. Those who want to see the rare objects on permanent display can find them without prior booking near the main entrance area.
The library holds one of only 2 known surviving copies of the Carta Marina from 1539, one of the earliest detailed maps of northern Europe. The map is decorated with sea creatures and detailed coastlines, showing what people imagined and knew about the region at that time.
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