I LOVE books! Not even necessarily to read (though I love to do that too), I just like to see a lot of them together, in a library or bookstore, for instance. Every time I go on vacation, I try to …

In the Library | 1872 | Auguste Toulmouche

staedtlers-and-stabilos: Private Library

Absolutely insane round library by Horace Walpole.

Ornate Eclectic Library - Eclectic - Los Angeles | Houzz

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may be familiar with my Lovely Libraries page, where I pin pics of all the beautiful libraries I come across in my blog research. I’ve always loved the idea of having a private library of my own, but it wasn’t until I started the Pinterest page […]

The Gothic Study - The Private Library of William Randolph Hearst via stuckincustoms @ Flickr

Discover captivating home library ideas for men seeking refined spaces of intellectual solace and style. Elevate your reading haven today!

It is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is an arsenal of the oldest treasures and knowledge protected by the Vatican.

Did you know that March 1st is World Book Day? It’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in more than 100 countries all over the world.I am behind World Book Day 100%! I can’t imagine not having books to read. Or not being able to read. I can’t sit still without reading something… anything, even the back of the cereal box! We are so lucky to have the Book Thing in Baltimore. Since all of the books are FREE, I can take and keep the ones I want, and return the ones I’ve finished.Some of my favourite design books are listed along the right side of the blog, and they all have links either to posts I did about them, or where you can buy them.I can’t remember when I first started reading, but I do remember reading books like Nancy Drew, which started my life long love of mysteries. Both of the houses where I grew up had libraries, and I remember sitting for hours, looking at the books there. You can just see my father’s collection of red Baedekers’ Travel Guides in the left corner of this room. He had shelves built in on the wall opposite the fireplace for all of his books. At one point, he had more than 4,000 books! But that’s nowhere near the number that Johns Hopkins Professor Richard Macksey has in his house (top image). His floors had to be reinforced!This is just a small portion of one of my book cases, and you can see some of my father’s old travel books in the upper left of the book case. Happy World Book Day!

Like most objects, books are confined to the space they occupy, obedient as they are to the laws of nature. That is to say, unlike the Incredible Hulk, they do not normally expand beyond the limits…

Cast from the movie, "The Mists of Avalon" Years ago, I read the book The Mists of Avalon, which forever changed my life! The story is told from Morgan Le Fey's point of view, and it deliciously weaves (historical and fantasy) layers and decades of deception, love triangles, war, all with the underlying battle between Druid and Christian. There are few places on earth that can stir my imagination and my fairy-tale, romantic notions more than Tintagel Castle. Set on the rugged coast of North Cornwall, England, Tintagel is steeped in mystery and legend; with a history dating back to the Roman occupation of England. The castle is reported to be the site of the conception of King Arthur; and below the castle lies the great magician's cave of Merlin, which can be accessible at low tide. TINTAGEL CASTLE HISTORY "Even before Richard, Earl of Cornwall, built his castle, Tintagel had come to be associated with the conception of King Arthur. During the summer months, a story-teller is often on hand to bring the legends of King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot to life. In the bleak mid-winter, Tintagel is a place that inspires the imagination of writers and poets. It's a place of dreams, romance and legend. In June 1998, excavations were undertaken under the direction of Professor Chris Morris of the University of Glasgow, on a relatively sheltered and small site on the eastern side of the island, first excavated in the 1930s. Pottery from the 5th and 6th centuries was found, as well as some fine glass fragments believed to be from 6th- or 7th-century Málaga. Even more remarkable was a 1,500-year-old piece of slate on which remain two Latin inscriptions. The second inscription reads: ‘Artognou, father of a descendant of Coll, has had [this] made.’ Who exactly Artognou was continues to be a subject for lively speculation." Tintagel Castle is set on a dramatic and picturesque headland that is virtually an island, connected to the mainland by a slim finger of land. Over the centuries much of Tintagel castle has fallen into the sea and very little remains today." TINTAGEL "Tintagel Castle is famous for its association with the legend of King Arthur, who was said to be born on Tintagel Island where the remains of the 13th century Castle stand today. With its spectacular location on one of England's most dramatic coastlines, It is an awe-inspiring place to visit and soak up the atmosphere generated by the dramatic views and wonderful legends. Below the castle on the Castle Beach is Merlin’s cave which is accessible at low tide. Merlin's Cave The coastline around Tintagel is significant because it is composed of old Devonian slate; about a mile southwards from Tintagel towards Treknow the coastline was quarried extensively for this hard-wearing roofing surface. The turquoise green water around this coast is caused by the slate/sand around Tintagel which contains elements of copper: strong sunlight turns the water a light turquoise green color in warm weather. The Castle was built by Reginald, Earl of Cornwall on Tintagel Head, where according to Cornish legends the ancient Kings of Cornwall held their court. Tintagel castle was built for propaganda purposes and had no real strategic value. Stained glass window in St Mary's Church, Wales, containing the image of Geoffrey of Monmouth. It was claimed by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century that the castle at Tintagel Head was where King Uther Pendragon seduced Queen Igraine of Cornwall, while her husband, Gorlois, was under siege elsewhere. King Arthur was thus conceived and later writers made the castle his birthplace." King Uther, Lady Igraine and Corlois TINTAGEL CASTLE - CORNWALL "Tintagel Castle stands on windswept cliffs in North Cornwall on one of England’s most dramatic coastlines. The Castle is believed to be the birthplace of King Arthur who, as legend has it, was protected from the evil magician Merlin by his magical sword, Excalibur. Tintagel Castle is an awe-inspiring place to visit and soak up the atmosphere generated by the dramatic views and wonderful legends. Today, the remains of Tintagel castle stand on rugged cliffs high above the sea. Many claim that Tintagel is one of the most romantic places in the UK, with beautiful walks along the Cornish Coast." Source: http://www.tintagelcastle.co.uk/

Editors Note: This article was originally published by myself (Dylan) on Curious Expeditions. Due to some long overdue and much needed maintainence on...

We rounded up the most spectacular private libraries. Take a look.

Editors Note: This article was originally published by myself (Dylan) on Curious Expeditions. Due to some long overdue and much needed maintainence on...

This luxurious two-volume edition of the works of Aristotle was called by Henry Yates Thompson "the most magnificent book in the world." The trompe-l'oeil tendencies already evident in Girolamo da Cremona's Augustine of 1475 have been developed even further in the two frontispieces of this copy. In the first volume, the vellum of the page appears to have been torn away to reveal Aristotle conversing with a turbaned figure, possibly the Cordovan commentator Averroës (1126–1190). Beneath is a richly decorated architectural façade set into a landscape populated with satyrs, putti, and deer.

To celebrate Book Riot's second birthday on Monday, we're running some of our favorite posts from our first two years. This post was originally a

“Evening Star. Sunset” (1895) by Wilhelm Kotarbiński (Polish;1848-1921), watercolour, paper; Private collection AGRA-ART

Suddenly a Latin version of St John’s Gospel is in the headlines. And everyone is delighted. The British Library has got the cash together so that the Cuthbert Gospel can be kept in public o…

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Look closer at these rare photos that show dark and mysterious revelations thought to be lost to history, they each show a piece of the past that was once believed to be buried. The photos and stories collected here will take everything you know about history and turn it upside down, changing much of what you thought you knew about the past.Each picture that we've included here deserves a long look.

Editors Note: This article was originally published by myself (Dylan) on Curious Expeditions. Due to some long overdue and much needed maintainence on...

Editors Note: This article was originally published by myself (Dylan) on Curious Expeditions. Due to some long overdue and much needed maintainence on...

It’s very easy to miss—but an incredible slice of Barcelona history.