Public Library of Valencia, Public library in Ciutat Vella, Valencia, Spain.
The Public Library of Valencia is a main public library in the Ciutat Vella district, housed in a historic building at Calle del Hospital 13. It holds reading rooms, book collections across several subject areas, and digital workspaces spread across its different wings.
Founded in 1838 as the Valencia Popular Library, the institution first operated from Plaza de la Virgen before moving to its current building in 1979. The building had served a very different purpose for centuries before being converted into a place for reading and study.
The building follows a Greek cross layout, and each wing is dedicated to a different subject area, so the architecture itself shapes how visitors move through the space. The youth section draws families and school groups, while other wings tend to attract researchers and adults working quietly at reading tables.
The library sits close to the Guillem de Castro garden, making it easy to reach on foot from the city center. The building is divided into several wings, so it helps to check the floor plan at the entrance before heading to a specific section.
The building was once home to what is considered Europe's first psychiatric hospital, opened in 1409 after a sermon by Friar Juan Gilabert Jofre moved Valencia's merchant community to act. Centuries later, the same walls that once sheltered patients now surround readers and students.
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