Well, it’s almost Thomas Jefferson’s birthday (he was born April 13, 1743). And it’s National Library Week. So let’s commemorate both events with a view of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, which Jefferson originally designed to serve as the college library.
Jefferson, of course, was instrumental in founding the University of Virginia and in designing its campus, a role of which he was immensely proud. His gravestone famously lists it as one of his three accomplishments, along with authoring the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom but skipping over his tenure as president.
The Rotunda, which is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, is the centerpiece of The Lawn at UVA and of Jefferson’s conception of an Academical Village, which is lined by classrooms and living quarters for students and faculty.
Jefferson’s decision to place a library at the center of the university instead of a chapel was a departure from tradition at the time and was a reflection of his belief in the separation of church and state. It is one of only a handful of man-made structures in the U.S. (including Jefferson’s nearby home at Monticello) that is listed as a World Heritage Site.
See more Travel Photos of the Week here.
Photos: All photos by Bob Riel.