The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura

The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, in Rio de Janeiro, is the largest library of Portuguese authors outside Portugal. The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura was founded in 1837 to promote culture among the Portuguese community in the then capital of the Empire. The building of the current headquarters, designed by Portuguese architect Rafael da Silva e Castro, was erected between 1880 and 1887 in neo-Manueline style. Emperor D. Pedro II (1831–1889) laid the foundation stone for the building on June 10, 1880, and his daughter, Princess Isabel, along with her husband, Conde d'Eu, opened it on September 10 of 1887.