{"id":2493,"date":"2014-11-07T20:40:56","date_gmt":"2014-11-07T19:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/?p=2493"},"modified":"2026-10-09T13:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:51:19","slug":"biblioteca-nacional-de-espana-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/articles\/biblioteca-nacional-de-espana-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblioteca Nacional de Espa\u00f1a, Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Biblioteca Nacional de Espa\u00f1a (BNE, National Library of Spain) stands on the Paseo de Recoletos in central Madrid, next to Plaza de Col\u00f3n. It keeps a copy of every book published in Spain and is the country’s main bibliographic institution. This post covers its history, the building, what a visitor can see without a reader’s card, opening hours and how to get there.<\/p>\n

History<\/h2>\n

The library was created in 1711 by Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, as the Real Biblioteca P\u00fablica (Royal Public Library). It opened its doors to the public on 1 March 1712. In 1716 a royal privilege obliged printers to deposit in the library a copy of everything printed in Spain. That privilege is the origin of legal deposit, which today is regulated by Law 23\/2011 and also covers electronic publications and websites.<\/p>\n

In 1836 the library passed from the Crown to the Ministry of the Interior of the time (Ministerio de la Gobernaci\u00f3n) and was renamed Biblioteca Nacional. During the 19th century it grew with the libraries of nobles and scholars and with collections that came from the confiscation of church property. The name Biblioteca Nacional de Espa\u00f1a dates from 2009. The library is now governed by its own law, Law 1\/2015<\/a>, which sets out its history and functions.<\/p>\n

The BNE has two sites. The building on the Paseo de Recoletos opened to the public in 1896. A second site in Alcal\u00e1 de Henares was inaugurated in 1993.<\/p>\n

The building<\/h2>\n

The library occupies a rectangular neoclassical building between the Paseo de Recoletos and Calle Serrano. According to Spain’s official tourism website<\/a>, work on it began in 1866 and was completed in 1892. The main fa\u00e7ade has a broad exterior staircase and a Corinthian portico topped with sculptures by Agust\u00edn Querol. The National Archaeological Museum is directly alongside.<\/p>\n

What to see<\/h2>\n

The reading rooms are for registered users: consulting the collections requires a reader’s or researcher’s card. The collections include incunabula, manuscripts, prints, drawings, photographs, maps, sound recordings and scores. The library also holds the national newspaper and periodicals collection (Hemeroteca), part of which has been digitised since 2007 and can be read online.<\/p>\n

Visitors without a card can see the exhibition rooms, which are open to the public. The permanent exhibition is El Infierno y las Maravillas (The Inferno and the Wonders), on floor -1. It was inaugurated on 27 February 2024 and replaced the former library museum. Its four rooms follow the history of writing and books, from the first alphabets to digital memory, using pieces from the library’s own collections. The name refers to the “inferno”, the place where libraries used to keep their forbidden books. Temporary exhibitions are held in other rooms.<\/p>\n

Practical information<\/h2>\n

The details below are those published by the Madrid tourist board<\/a> in 2026. Check before a visit, because exhibition hours can change.<\/p>\n