Barcelona’s Best Hidden Gem May Be a Library for the Working Class
On my first visit to Biblioteca Pública Arús, I managed to walk past it—twice. Granted, I may have been distracted by the enticing smell of the newly fried tapas from the bar next door, or the tanned, toned Mediterranean types effortlessly rollerblading past outside, but, as I made my way up the elegant staircase leading up to this secret library, I felt a pang of guilt for having overlooked it for so long.
Hidden on the second floor of one of Barcelona’s characteristic late 19th-century townhouses, Biblioteca Pública Arús (or the Arús Public Library) was inaugurated on April 24, 1895, as one of the first dedicated public libraries in the Catalan capital. It was donated to the people of Barcelona by local playwright, journalist, philanthropist and Freemason Rossend Arús to promote the education of the working classes. Even though Arús himself died in 1891, he left clear instructions in his will for how he wanted his fortune—and his home—to be put to good use.
Situated in Rossend Arús’ former residence at Passeig de Sant Joan, 26, the Arús Public Library houses some 80,000 volumes of books, booklets, manuscripts, documents, microforms and electronic resources. In addition to one of the largest reference works on Freemasonry in Spain, it also boasts one of the world’s most comprehensive Sherlock Holmes collections.