the fundação biblioteca nacional, or the national library foundation, is located in cinelândia square in the center of rio de janeiro, and is the site of bibliographic documentation of brazil's history, culture, and heritage. with more than nine million books, it is the largest national library in south america, and has also been named as the seventh largest in the world by unesco - it was first opened to the public in 1814.

the library is truly a historical and cultural center, with its origins dating back to 1755, when the portuguese royal library was damaged, after a massive earthquake hit lisbon, the capital of portugal.