Galveias Palace, Public library in Avenidas Novas, Lisbon, Portugal.
The Palácio Galveias is a public library housed in a U-shaped building from the 17th century located in central Lisbon. The structure contains reading rooms, work spaces, and outdoor gardens where visitors can spend their time.
The building was constructed as a country house for the Marquis of Távora in the 17th century. The Crown seized it in the mid-1700s, and decades later the Count of Galveias purchased it and gave it his name.
The place takes its name from the Count of Galveias, who acquired the property in the 1800s and connected it to his family legacy. Today this connection remains visible in how people use it as a gathering space for reading events and literary activities that bring the community together.
The library is accessible to visitors on most weekdays with wireless internet available throughout the space. There are plenty of seating areas for reading and studying, while the gardens offer a quiet place to relax during warmer months.
During the decades of political censorship, banned books were stored here wrapped in blue plastic tape and kept in separate areas. The library's catalog cards carried special markings to identify these works and track where they were housed.
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