The outside is adorned by four statues which each depict an important Portuguese figure - nobleman and military commander who first 'discovered' Brazil, Pablo Alvarez Cabral, the great poet, Luís de Camões, the politician, Infante Dom Henrique de Avis, Duke of Viseu known as Henry the Navigator, and the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama.

the library houses a fully computerized collection of approximately 350,000 volumes, many dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. readers can consult materials in the library lounge, with the assistance of librarians.

it contains rare works such as 'os lusíadas' by luís de camões,  1572, the 'ordenações de dom manuel' by jacob cromberger published in 1521, and the 'capitolos de cortes e leys que sobre alguns delles fizeram' published in 1539, which may be consulted by researchers and experts with special authorization.