The Biblioteca Nacional de España is holding the exhibition Biblioteca Nacional de España: 300 años haciendo historia (Biblioteca Nacional de España: 300 years of history), which it is organising in conjunction with Acción Cultural Española. The BNE is not only one of the country's most emblematic institutions, but it is one of the best in adapting to the new times and to the challenges of each moment.
The aim of the exhibition is to explore in depth the path taken by the BNE over its 300-year history, full of challenges, changes and transformations, as well as showing its inner workings and the wealth of its collections.
The exhibition, organised by José Manuel Lucía Megías, Professor in Romance Philology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, hinges around four topic sections: The Biblioteca Nacional de España in its history; Technology at the service of information and knowledge; Inside the Biblioteca Nacional de España and 300 years of the Biblioteca Nacional de España: Time line.
The first section addresses its history, from its foundation at the hands of Philip V in 1711 through to today.
The second section shows how the institution has been able to adapt itself to the advances in technology, revolutionising the way of understanding the Library, as they did in their time, the technology of writing, photography or the technology for conserving and reproducing sound.
The third area shows the methods for extending and completing the BNE's collections, technical work and the solutions adopted to solve their conservation problems.
The final section reviews the chronology of these 300 years of the BNE based on its most significant milestones.
It is a unique occasion to enjoy the best works in the institution's keeping in a single venue: Codices, incunabula, books, drawings, prints, maps, photographs, music scores, autographs, ex libris, picture cards, dance programmes, posters… For example, manuscripts by Leonardo Da Vinci, Beatus of Liébana and Petrarch, drawings by Velázquez, Goya and Fortuny, engravings by Goya, Durer, Rembrandt and Picasso, and books such as the editio princeps of Don Quixote.
To plan your visit you can download free of charge the application for the exhibition Biblioteca Nacional de España: 300 años haciendo historia from App Store and Android Market. It includes a plan of the exhibition, photos, texts, video and different functions which enable the user to take a virtual tour of the exhibition. You can access 50 of the most significant works from the BNE's holdings, its history and many other things.
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