The new exhibition space El Infierno y las Maravillas of the Biblioteca Nacional de España is a unique and multidisciplinary place, a part of the library where many libraries fit, where past, present and future converse through the holdings and collections of the BNE. A place to look and learn, to observe and admire, to get lost, to research, to have fun, to inquire, to acquire knowledge and ask questions, to let the imagination fly and to discover other worlds. From the first alphabets to virtual reality, cultural memory remains alive in this "hell" that houses marvels.
For centuries, the name "hell" was given to that secret place, cupboard or room, where libraries hid their forbidden books. The marvels, the most valuable books, the treasures of the collection, by contrast, were kept in the strongroom or on the shelves of the reading room. Depending on the era, books have changed place. The marvels have been condemned. The condemned have become marvels. Canons change because our values and our crafts change too. What ultimately matters is the memory of the whole. And that is, precisely, what this space conceived as a permanent exhibition shows: El Infierno y las Maravillas. A possible selection from a library that converses with all the libraries of the past, the present and the future.
This project was carried out with funds obtained within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which have enabled the reform and renovation of the space of the former BNE Museum. Its aim is to be a place of knowledge about the Biblioteca Nacional de España itself and to show the variety and richness of its collections, as well as to become an educational and playful space that raises awareness of the importance of conserving our documentary and bibliographic heritage.
© Ministerio de Cultura - Gobierno de España