Hello peeps! I hope u had a wonderful last week of May. Finally, I got all my final exams done and I am ready for summer, new experiences and new content for you guys.
Last week I was walking around the Old Town and ended up in one of the largest places in Prague - Clementinum. You can get there by a short walk from Charles Bridge.
Historically, the Clementinum served as a college for the Jesuits - the masculine order. Today, it is a complex of Baroque buildings, where you can find lots of places, which you can visit because it is, after Prague Castle, the second largest complex here in Prague.
It was interesting for me to find out that since 2010 the reconstruction work has been underway in Clementinum. The caretakers and creators, for example, wanted to raise social prestige, that is why a café for the public, a bookstore or an exhibition hall should also have been created as part of the reconstruction. I like the fact that they are still working on the reconstruction and Clementinum is getting even better for the public.
In Clementinum, people mostly visit these places/monuments: Church of St. Clement, Courtyard with fountain and also the most visited Astronomical Tower, Baroque Refectory - General Study Room of the National Library and Mirror Chapel.
As part of my guided tour, I visited the Astronomical Tower, the Library and I also had the opportunity to see the copy of the Vysehrad (Vyšehrad) Codex, which is one of the most valuable of the Evangels in Bohemia. And today I would like to tell you about these historical sights.
The Baroque Library. Its ceiling is made of frescoes with Jesuit saints and patrons, which were made by Czech painter Jan Hiebl. The library interior is one of the most popular in Prague. Among other things, in the library, you will find over 20,000 scroll and other theological books and more. You will also see astronomical clocks, globes and a portrait of Emperor Joseph II, who also donated a few of his books to the library.
Another place is the Astronomical Tower, built in 1722, measures 68 meters. Visitors can go up to 52 meters, where there is a wonderful view of Prague and its surroundings. At the top of the Astronomical Towers, you can find the statue of Atlanta, created by the Austrian sculptor Matthias Bernard Braun. In the middle of the 18th century, astronomical and meteorological measurements took place within the tower. Astronomy was also in the Jesuit curriculum where young students have been creating meteorological and astronomical instruments, you can see it at the Astronomical Tower Observatory.
On our website, you will find tickets for concerts held at the Clementinum. So you can end your tour by listening to classical music. We offer two concerts. Concert "Smetana, Dvořák, and Vivaldi in Old Town", which takes place in the Mirror Chapel, June 11th and the second concert of "Four Seasons" in St. Clement's Church, also June 11th.
Main information from:
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klementinum
https://www.klementinum.com/en/
From our external collaborator Tereza Kultová