Strahov Monastery in Prague – history, photo, description, prices 2021, how to get there, map
Every traveler dreams of seeing the beauty of Prague. Exquisite architectural monuments of different times and styles create in the city an atmosphere of eternal antiquity, filled with mysterious life even now. Many, for example, the Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, the ancient Prague Castle have become symbols of the country. Among them is one of the earliest Christian buildings in the Czech Republic, the famous Strahov Monastery, which grew up in Hradcany thanks to the activities of the order of Premonstratensian monks.
Story
The white robes of the silent monks of the male, active monastery are reminiscent of life outside its walls for many centuries. The huge complex of buildings was rebuilt several times. Its buildings have witnessed many historical storms of the Middle Ages. The wars of the Hussites, the invasion of the French, the storming of Prague by Prussian troops and many other troubles swept over the territory of the monastery. Its first Romanesque stone building burned down completely in 1258 due to the negligence of a sleeping monk who did not follow the burning candle. Gothic buildings were erected on this site.
In the 17th century, the architect Lurago presented a project for a new baroque monastery. It was built between 1742 and 1758. And he was once again defeated by the French troops. The restored monastery continued its activity, determined by the strict laws of the Premonstratensian order. Hard-working monks worked hard, held services, prayers, collected paintings, books, rare geographical maps, filling the museum of the monastery with exhibits. They planted rich vineyards, a beautiful garden in huge areas surrounding all the buildings.
A difficult period for the order was the end of the 18th century, when Emperor Joseph II issued an order to eliminate useless monasteries. The salvation of the monastery was the creation of a library for visiting the general public. Books, paintings, from closed monasteries, moved to local storage. In the 20th century, it became possible to create a famous art gallery of the complex. Today, the complex is considered both a religious center, a museum, and an ancient library of the Czech Republic. The ashes of its creator, Norbert of Xanten, are considered the main shrine kept in the Gothic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Description
Even in ancient times, when most of the buildings in old Prague were one-story, the architectural buildings of the monastery consisted of several floors. Along their southern, eastern sides stretches the famous Strahov Garden, founded in the 17th century. You can see it on the observation deck, located above the terraces with a vineyard. The site was designed by Charles Kuz in 1991.
Flowering hedges, cozy benches for relaxing and the snow-white figure of the statue of the Mother of God in Exile attract tourists to the site, which offers wonderful views of Prague. The statue is a copy of the work of Jan Bendl, located on the Old Town Square. During the years of establishing the independence of the Czech Republic in 1918, after the demolition of the Marian Pillar, it was destroyed. The Mother of God, adorned with a star wreath, with a golden letter “Our Lady in Exile prays for you”, froze at the defeated dragon.
Most of the monastery buildings located in the garden were created after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Among them are a confessional, a special room for drying fruits (gardener's house), caves of Hell in a multi-meter layer of a hill, which have become outbuildings. The decoration of the monastery courtyard is considered to be a stone pillar with a statue of St. Norbert on top. Nearby is the Church of the Ascension.
Just below the monastery building, near the dam, there is a green tent of a centuries-old ash tree, one of the largest in the country. Its crown covers about 40 m. The age of the tree, growing in the form of three powerful branches, is 200 years. Under it you can see an old sewer pond. The complex of the Strahov Monastery consists of the Museum of National Literature, Miniatures, the Art Gallery, and the ancient Library.
sights
The monastery complex has long become a place of pilgrimage to the ancient architectural monument. Here there is an acquaintance with the peculiarities of the life of the monks of the order, the adoption of their spirit of renunciation of personal wealth. The use of literary and artistic masterpieces collected by ministers enriches the souls of people, preserves a careful attitude to the historical values of the country. The main attractions of the complex are the following places:
Strahov Library
One of the voluminous, beautiful libraries in Europe, which has existed for 8 centuries, contains over 130 thousand books, 25,000 old manuscripts, a musical collection, an ancient book called the Strahov Gospel, published in the 9th century. The library archive was formed on the basis of book purchases abroad, at the expense of wills by individual owners and other monasteries. In 1824, the library, almost by accident, found a manuscript of the lost ancient original chronicle of Abbot Jarloch. It contained the first indication of the Strahov Monastery. One of the healers was packing vials of medicines in the parchment sheets of an old book.
Here, even today, during the service, you can hear the magical sounds of the organ, on which, back in 1787, the famous Mozart amazed those around him with the art of improvisation. Thanks to the monk, who had a special memory and recorded the melody he heard, the work became a real relic of the monastery and added to the list of the composer's masterpieces.
A separate building was erected for the library. It housed the Theological and Philosophical Halls, which became known far beyond the borders of the country. Here you can see the first editions of the works of philosophers, theologians of Europe, which are still of scientific value. The second building of the library burned down in 1420 during the war with the Hussites. The valuables of the restored library were brutally robbed by the Swedes in 1648. The monks managed to hide most of the library, but 19 boxes with monastic heritage were taken from the country to Stockholm.
The main buildings of the Strahov Monastery were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. During this period, the library fund was constantly increasing and required the allocation of separate rooms and halls. According to the project of Giovanni Domenico Orsi, the famous Theological Hall was created in 1579. Under the cylindrical ceiling with baroque moldings, there is a rare collection of biblical literature in many languages.
Among them are the works of famous printers, such as Christoffel Plantin. The valuable exhibits of the hall include geographical and astronomical maps of the 17th century and the famous frescoes on the ceiling. They depict paintings associated with the profession of a librarian. The painting, decorations of the hall are the creations of Franciszek Christian Nosiecki.
A century later, the Philosophical Hall was born in the monastery complex, equipped to store the valuable property of books brought from the closed monasteries of Moravia, Louka. Beautifully carved walnut shelves, made after the end of the Thirty Years' War, were installed in the high hall. The high ceiling of the hall attracts attention with a painting on the theme “History of Humankind”, created by the Austrian artist Frantiszk Maulbertsch in 1794. Now the fresco is called the pride of the monastery.
The library houses an interesting Cabinet of Curiosities (similar to the Kunstkamera). Along with rare natural exhibits, there are the remains of the Dodo bird. The collection of natural anomalies was acquired at the expense of the estate of Baron Jan Eben in 1798. It also contains finds of archaeologists, utensils, weapons, models of ancient warships.
Brewery
On the left side, at the entrance to the monastery, sit down a small pub “Monastic brewer Strahov”, which offers original varieties of local beer. The technology of brewing a tasty, good-quality drink has been mastered by monks since the 13th century. In the Middle Ages, beer was brewed with a high calorie content and allowed the monks to endure long fasts. The famous Saint Norbert beer was first brewed in this brewery. This drink can be purchased as a souvenir of the living history of the brewery, which has been operating for four centuries.
There is a small restaurant “Klasterni pivovar Strahov” on the territory of the complex. In a simple cozy atmosphere, you can enjoy the taste of not only the famous beer, but traditional snacks, a full meal. The average price for a glass of beer is 60 kroons, the dish “boar's knee” costs about 330 kroons.
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
An unforgettable feeling is received by people sitting on ancient carved benches, admiring the gilded stucco molding, amazing murals of altars. Immersed in the magical sound of the organ touched by Mozart's hands. Listening to the melodies of the Gregorian chant under the arches of the most beautiful monument of history. The architectural masterpiece dedicated to Saint Norbert was originally a type of Romanesque basilica. It acquired its Gothic appearance after a fire in 1258.
Two centuries after the defeat by the Hussites, the church was restored in the Renaissance style, and after the French attack in 1742, the Baroque style became the main type of building. Frescoes depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, Saint Norbert appeared in 1774 thanks to the creations of Neuingertz. The history of the church is closely connected with all the events in the life of the monastery.
Art Gallery
Hard-working, intelligent monks knew how to appreciate and protect books and works of art, creating rich, interesting collections. Starting from the 18th century, the first collection of paintings appeared in the monastery. By 1834 their number had reached about 500 units. From that moment on, a period of ordering values began, the creation of a catalog. The important process was led by Abbot Hieronymus Zeidler. In 1870, the number of paintings increased dramatically, and a unique art gallery (Strahovská obrazárna) was born, proud of having the best works of the 14th-19th centuries.
Now many of the works are in the permanent exhibition. The gallery often hosts interesting thematic exhibitions. The riches of the art of European masters of the Renaissance period, Gothic, are located in the gallery surrounding the monastery courtyard. Among them are elements of liturgical vestments, items from different centuries.
Church of St. Roch
The Gothic building adorns the northern part of the courtyard of the Strahov Monastery. It was built in 1603-1612 according to a project created by the architect Giovanni Mario Filippi. As a thank you to the saint for saving him from the plague, Emperor Rudolph II allocated money for the construction of the church.
On the squares of the complex there is a Museum of Miniatures, where interesting exhibits can be viewed with a magnifying glass. Monument of national writing in the form of a museum (Památník národního písemnictví), opened in 1953. Now its base is considered to be a rare Literary Archive containing about 6 million original documents, newspaper clippings, photographs, manuscripts, drafts.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The monastery complex is open to the public every day except Monday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. To get acquainted with all the sights of the monastery, you need to buy four tickets (library, gallery, museums of miniatures, monastery). The ticket price is 300 kroons.
Where is it located and how to get there
The easiest way to come to the monastery is by trams 22, 23 to the Pohořelec stop. Prague attraction address: Strahovske nadvori 1, Prague 1.