Ancient Roman Library at Fuente Álamo Confirmed as Iberia’s Oldest

Archaeologists from the University of Granada and the University of Córdoba have re‑identified a room in the Roman villa of Fuente Álamo, Puente Genil, Córdoba, as a library rather than a mithraeum. Architectural analysis using a “shape‑grammar” method revealed features typical of Roman libraries – an apse, rectangular and semicircular niches for wooden shelves, a raised podium and adjoining workspaces – indicating the space was used for reading and study between the 3rd and 6th centuries.

The discovery, published in the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, makes the villa’s library the oldest known library on the Iberian Peninsula and the westernmost library documented in the Roman Empire. It is also considered one of the best‑preserved private Roman libraries, comparable to the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, but with its physical structure largely intact.