Austrian National Library, Vienna

View into one of the hidden rooms behind the Prunksaal’s great bookcases. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Filled with hidden doors, Baroque painting, sculpture, globes, and many, many leather-bound books, the Prunksaal (State Hall) of the Austrian National Library in Vienna regularly appears on lists of the world’s most beautiful libraries. As an institution, however, the library expands far beyond the elaborately decorated State Hall and includes several off-site collections, such as the Globe and Papyrus Museums.

Prunksaal

Ceiling of the Austrian National Library’s Prunksaal, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Secret(ish) door in the Prunksaal, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Prunksaal, Austrian National Library, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Celestial globe from 1693 by Vincenzo Coronelli in the Prunksaal, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of the Prunksaal’s ceiling. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Papyrus Museum

View of the Papyrus Museum in the basement of the Neue Berg, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail a papyrus scroll in the Papyrus Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Roman stucco head with glass eyes from the site of Tuna el-Gebel, Egypt, in the Papyrus Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Mummy net in the Papyrus Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail from one of many papyrus scrolls in the Papyrus Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Globe Museum

Hallway in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Terrestrial globe in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Display in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Display in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

360-panorama of the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Display in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Celestial globe in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Small celestial globe in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Hallway ceiling in the Globe Museum, Vienna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Malatestiana Library, Cesena

Malatestiana Library, built by Malatesta Novella between 1447–52. The oldest parts of the library are only available via guided tour. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

It’s NaNoWriMo again. To stay inspired as we come to the end of the first week of the novel-writing challenge, I’m reflecting on the sustainability and physical beauty of books by revisiting one of the world’s oldest public libraries: Biblioteca Malatestiana, located in Cesena, Italy.

One of the chained books from the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Chained books in the Malatestiana reading room. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Corner of the display room in the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Display case with miniature books, Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of illuminated manuscript on display at the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of illuminated manuscript on display at the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail of map on display at the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Bars protecting the reading room of the Malatestiana Library. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.