Bibliotheca Thysiana

Leiden, Netherlands

The Bibliotheca Thysiana was erected in 1655 to house the book collection of the lawyer Johannes Thysius (1621–1653). Upon his early death, he left a legacy of 20,000 guilders for the building of a public library with a custodian's dwelling. Designed by the architect Arent van ‘s-Gravensande, the building follows the Dutch Classical style and is regarded as one of the jewels of Dutch 17th-century architecture.

The Bibliotheca Thysiana is the only surviving 17th century example in the Netherlands of a building that was designed as a public library. It is quite extraordinary that a complete private 17th century library has been preserved and thus offers a good impression of the book collection of a young, learned bibliophile from the period of late Humanism. The collection contains about 2,500 books and thousands of pamphlets in all scientific fields.

References:

Wikipedia

Miscellaneous historic sites in Netherlands

Address

Rapenburg 25, Leiden, Netherlands

See all sites in Leiden

Details

Founded: 1655
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Netherlands

More Information

www.library.leiden.edu
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Burcht van Leiden (0,5 km)
Marekerk (0,5 km)

Royal Palace of Amsterdam (36,5 km)
Nieuwe Kerk (36,6 km)
Rijksmuseum (35,2 km)
American Hotel (35,3 km)
Oude Kerk (36,9 km)
Van Gogh Museum (34,9 km)
Beurs van Berlage (36,9 km)
Stedelijk Museum (34,8 km)
Basilica of St. Nicholas (37,2 km)

User Reviews

Martin Lamboo (2 years ago)

A Wayfarer's Tale, Dipa (2 years ago)
During our visit to the Bibliotheca Thysiana in Leiden, we couldn't go inside, but its history is truly fascinating. This library was built a long time ago in the 17th century by a man named Johannes Thysius, who wanted to share his books with everyone. Although we couldn't explore it up close, we were still amazed by the beautiful old building and the thought of people reading and learning here for centuries. It was a glimpse into the past, and we left with a greater appreciation for history and knowledge.

John van der Heijden (3 years ago)

Paulien Leeuwenburgh (6 years ago)
Het geluk gehad hier bij de open monumentendag2018 binnen te kijken. Prachtig gebouw!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.