Bibliotecas brasileiras vistas pelos viajantes no século XIX

since its discovery brazil has attracted the curiosity of foreign travelers. during the 16th and 17th centuries travelers from different european nations visited the country, and their number greatly increased after the opening of brazilian ports to foreign ships in 1808. reports and narratives published by many of these travelers met an enormous audience. the totality of these publications, the so-called travel literature, remains a wealthy source of information about different aspects of brazilian history. this article offers a compilation of the opinions and views of some of these travelers about brazilian libraries. not every author was included in this survey but only those who visited the country in the 19th century and are widely known.