Prague:
Where is this magnificent library?
The library of the Premonstratensian monastery at Strahov, Czech Republic, is one of the most valuable and best-preserved historical libraries – its collection consists of approximately 200,000 volumes.
The oldest part of the library, the Baroque Theological Hall, was established between 1671 and 1674; the main Classicist vaults of the Philosophical Hall date from 1794 and are two storeys tall. Both halls are dominated by ceiling frescoes by Siard Nosecký and Anton Maulbertsch.
Strahov Library is the largest monastic library in the country, with two magnificent baroque halls dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The stunning interior of the two-storey-high Philosophy Hall was built to fit around the carved and gilded, floor-to-ceiling walnut shelving that was rescued from another monastery in South Bohemia (access to the upper gallery is via spiral staircases concealed in the corners).
The feeling of height here is accentuated by a grandiose ceiling fresco, Mankind’s Quest for True Wisdom – the figure of Divine Providence is enthroned in the centre amid a burst of golden light, while around the edges are figures ranging from Adam and Eve to the Greek philosophers.