The magnificent baroque library of Prague: a paradise for all books lovers of all the world.
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The Prague National Library was opened in 1722, and still today is one of the most beautiful libraries of all the world. With over 20,000 volumes, it is almost a sacred temple for all book lovers.
The ceiling frescoes were made by Jan Hiebl, and through his pictorial work there are many symbols that represent the importance of education along with hagiographies Jesuits’s saints. Inside there is also an entire room dedicated to Mozart, with the original writings made by the master of Salzburg.
The rare books collected by the Jesuits are enriched with their notes, which make the consultation of the volumes a real immersion in the folds of the history.
This library is part of the Klementinum complex (one of the largest architectural complexes in Prague), and holds also theological books in all the languages of the world. The large complex of Klementinum was founded by the Jesuits after their arrival in Bohemia in 1556. Initially, members of the order lived in a former Dominican monastery, but in 1653 began expanding their spaces. Jesuits ran a school in the Klementinum from its foundation, in 1622 it was promoted to a university. In addition to classrooms and bedrooms for the community, the Jesuits also built a library, a print room, a pharmacy, theater and of course church buildings.
In 1777 Maria Theresa of Austria decreed that the Clementinum became a public and university library, which allowed the scholarly community of Prague and not only to enjoy the baroque beauty of this magnificent building.
In 1930 it became the seat of the National Library and inside there are not only the frescoes of Hiebl, but also other riches like the astronomical clocks of Jan Klein. Since the eighteenth century the interior of the library has not been changed, and the diving into history is the most beautiful thing for art and culture lovers.