Our library plays a historic and fundamental role within the institution. It serves as both a workplace for researchers in residence at the institution and a resource centre for anyone engaged in research in the humanities and social sciences. Its collection focuses on the main areas of work at Casa de Velázquez.
Open to researchers and students from Master's level upwards upon free registration, it supports ongoing projects, promotes interdisciplinary exchange and supports work on the Iberian, Mediterranean and Atlantic regions.
Our fund
Specializing in the Iberian cultural area, the library boasts a direct-access collection of nearly 160,000 volumes and 1,800 scientific journal collections. It covers many fields, including the history of Spain, Portugal and Latin America, the social sciences, peninsular and Maghreb archaeology, the arts and Spanish literature.
Its stock includes some 3,800 rare and precious works, available for consultation on request.
New acquisitions
Practical information
Opening hours
Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
Closing dates 2026
To find out more about how to get in, how to register and loan conditions, go to the full practical information page.
The reserve
Casa de Velázquez's reserve holds over 3,800 rare and precious documents, from the XVIᵉ to the XXIᵉ century: manuscripts, old prints, engravings, first editions, annotated works and limited editions.
Available for consultation on request, these documents benefit from special attention to conservation and restoration.
They are divided between the old reserve - for works dating from before 1850 - and the modern reserve, which houses more recent items requiring enhanced conservation.
