CultureThe Palafoxiana LibraryPuebla

The Biblioteca Palafoxiana is considered by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) as a Documentary Heritage of Mexico. Founded in 1646, it was the first public library in Latin America, and the only one that currently reflects the cultural and intellectual heritage from Europe through a selection of over 41,000 volumes of antique books that were collected throughout various stages. Some of the books are originals from the Palafoxiano Tridentine Seminary, and others came later thanks to the contribution of Palafox’s successor, Bishop Francis Fabian and charter, who acquired part of the existing bibliographic content from the network of Jesuit colleges in Puebla, after the expulsion of this order in 1767 and its own library. The libraries of the bishops Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz and Don Francisco Pablo Vazquez were also added, as well as from the Dean of the Cathedral, José Francisco Irigoyen. The oldest text in the collection, known as  The Nuremberg Chronicle , dates from 1493 and was written by Hartman Schedel.  This antique book is regarded as incunable (books printed starting with the invention of printing, from the mid-15th century to the year 1500).

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