EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS 2026 - The Ajuda Library: the dynamics of a collection

Date: 26 September 2026
 Time: 11:00 – 12:00 and 15:00 – 16:00
 Duration: 1 h
 Registration: biblioteca@pnajuda.pt*

Founded as a royal library (15th century), at a time when libraries were not yet public institutions, the former Royal Ajuda Library holds a collection that exemplifies its turbulent history. Now comprising well over 100,000 items, it includes notable examples across various bibliographic categories: manuscripts and illuminated works, cartography, manuscript and printed iconography, music, and rare books. The near-total reconstitution of the collection, made necessary by major historical events — the 1755 earthquake and the court's departure for Brazil — as well as other, smaller setbacks, required a "reinvention" of how the space and furnishings were organised, as well as of the tools for accessing the collection, reflecting the ongoing effort of successive directors to "hold the line" and a continuous drive to modernise.

*Registration limit per visit: 20 people

Event Type
 Guided tour

Target Audience
 Adults

Facilitated by
 Ajuda Library

Admission Conditions
 Free participation subject to prior registration at biblioteca@pnajuda.pt
Limit of 20 people per visit

Please note that this event will be conducted in Portuguese.