The mysterious Strahov Library
Collections are housed in the amazing premises of the historical Strahov Library numbering 200,000 volumes. Among them, you will for example find such rarities as the Strahov Gospel Book dating back to the 9-10 century. Prints dating back to 1500 – 1800 are also housed here, as are over 1,500 first editions and around 3,000 manuscripts.
The owner of Strahov Library is the Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians in Strahov and it is located in the complex of Strahov Monastery. You can admire two main halls here and a decorated hallway.
The Theological Hall
This was built in 1671-1679 in a Baroque style according to plans by the architect Giovanni Domenico Orsi who was also responsible for the stucco ceiling decoration. The hall houses 1,800 books with a theological focus. You can admire ceiling frescoes by Siard Nosecký which date back to the 18th century depicting the relationship between man and books. They are embellished with Latin quotes from the bible and the whole of the north wall is also full of various editions of the bible. The room is lined by globes of the earth and space, affording the hall the respect it deserves. The hall was renovated in 1993-1994.
The Philosophical Hall
The magnificent Philosophical Hall was built at the time of Abbot Václav Mayer in a luxurious Classical style. Building work was performed from 1794 until 1797. It is decorated with a picture of Joseph II who appreciated the value of the library. This library was open to the public from the very start and it manages to take everyone’s breath away with its vastness and grandeur. The luxurious hall is 10 x 32 metres in size and with a height of 14 metres, it is able to stretch out over two floors with a gallery halfway up. The library was originally a granary and was transformed under the guidance of Ignác Palliardi into a luxurious space to house this unique library.
You can admire some amazing ceiling frescoes here by František Antonín Maulbertsch dating back to 1794 on which the Path of Humanity to Wisdom is depicted. In this hall, you will find books which deal with medicine, pharmacy, mathematics, philosophy, geography and law.
Welcome to the tour
You can experience the beauty of this luxurious interior in person. The tour of the library takes place without a guide, so you will have plenty of time to view these luxury premises. Be certain to view the Cabinet of Curiosities during your tour as this houses various natural science collections, collections of shells and elephant tusks.
