Page 122 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

120  PR A GUE AREA B Y AREA

s Strahov Monastery Statue of St John
A Late-Gothic, painted
Strahovský Klášter stat ue of St John the
Evangelist situated in
When it was founded in 1140 by an austere the Theological Hall, has
religious order, the Premonstratensians, Strahov the saint’s prayer book
rivalled the seat of the Czech sovereign in size. held in a small pouch.
Destroyed by fire in 1258, it was rebuilt in the
Gothic style, with later Baroque additions. Its
famous library, in the theological and philosophical
halls, is over 800 years old and despite being
ransacked by many invading armies, is one of the
finest in Bohemia. Strahov also escaped Joseph II’s
1783 dissolution of the monasteries by changing
its library into a research institute. It is now a
working monastery and museum.

Entrance to main
courtyard of the
monastery

. Church of Our Lady
The interior of this Baroque church
is highly decorated. Above the
arcades of the side naves, there are
12 paintings with scenes from the
life of St Norbert, founder of the
Premonstratensian order, by
Jiří Neunhertz.

KEY
Entrance to
1 Baroque organ on which Church of
Mozart played Our Lady
2 The Museum of National
Literature is devoted to works
by Czech writers. Church Façade
3 Refectory The elaborate statues,
by Johann Anton
4 Baroque tower Quitainer, were added
5 The façade of the Philosophical to the western façade
Hall is decorated with vases and a of the church when it
gilded medallion of Joseph II by was remodelled by the
Ignaz Platzer. architect Anselmo
Lurago in the 1750s.

120-121_EW_Prague.indd 120 20/03/17 11:28 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 28th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm