Sculpture in the entrance to the library. Head of St Stephen.
Central Europe
Hungary
The famous library of Pannonhalma Abbey.
Pannonhalma in Győr-Moson-Sopron County is one of the most outstanding historical memorials in Hungary, and its library is a collection of religious and secular masterpieces which is unique in the world.
n the 1800s the design of the library building was entrusted to Joseph Engel, then John Packh. Entering the classicist building, we can see a layout of a basilica with its elliptical transept. On the ceiling of the dome towering above us, a painting by Josef Klieber depicts the goddess Minerva. There are also two statues of the artist at the end of the great hall, one depicting King Saint Stephen and the other King Francis I. The interior of the huge, high-rise building is flooded with sunlight by the windows on the tower and above the side rooms, illuminating the portraits of Greek and Roman scholars and poets hanging on the wall. A series of Hungarian portraits can be seen on the ceiling. The bookshelves are the handiwork of local master carpenters.
The modern history of the library can be traced back to 1802, the time of the restoration of the Benedictine order. The first records referring to the library date back more than a thousand years, so except for a few interruptions, it is the oldest and most valuable art collection in the country. The library now consists of approximately 400,000 volumes compared to the original 70-80 codices. In terms of topics, the collection includes every conceivable scientific discipline. The language is more often Latin, but the books were also written in Hungarian, French and German. After the restoration of the Benedictine order, the library also made great strides, it began to prosper, and the collection reached its great size through purchases, collections and legacies. The Abbey, its library and its spiritual value was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Read more : hellohungary.hu/en/culture/the-famous-library-of-pannonha...
Sculpture in the entrance to the library. Head of St Stephen.
Central Europe
Hungary
The famous library of Pannonhalma Abbey.
Pannonhalma in Győr-Moson-Sopron County is one of the most outstanding historical memorials in Hungary, and its library is a collection of religious and secular masterpieces which is unique in the world.
n the 1800s the design of the library building was entrusted to Joseph Engel, then John Packh. Entering the classicist building, we can see a layout of a basilica with its elliptical transept. On the ceiling of the dome towering above us, a painting by Josef Klieber depicts the goddess Minerva. There are also two statues of the artist at the end of the great hall, one depicting King Saint Stephen and the other King Francis I. The interior of the huge, high-rise building is flooded with sunlight by the windows on the tower and above the side rooms, illuminating the portraits of Greek and Roman scholars and poets hanging on the wall. A series of Hungarian portraits can be seen on the ceiling. The bookshelves are the handiwork of local master carpenters.
The modern history of the library can be traced back to 1802, the time of the restoration of the Benedictine order. The first records referring to the library date back more than a thousand years, so except for a few interruptions, it is the oldest and most valuable art collection in the country. The library now consists of approximately 400,000 volumes compared to the original 70-80 codices. In terms of topics, the collection includes every conceivable scientific discipline. The language is more often Latin, but the books were also written in Hungarian, French and German. After the restoration of the Benedictine order, the library also made great strides, it began to prosper, and the collection reached its great size through purchases, collections and legacies. The Abbey, its library and its spiritual value was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Read more : hellohungary.hu/en/culture/the-famous-library-of-pannonha...