If you are going on a trip to Europe and are thinking about what to see in Prague on your own, then Clementinum should be a must-see destination for sightseeing. Of course, this place is not included in the excursions in Prague in Russian, but even with Russian-language booklets in hand, you will be impressed by what you see. For starters, you can get acquainted with Clementinum in absentia.
The pearl of Prague
Charles Bridge, Old Town Hall, Tyn Palace - all these wonderful architectural monuments are undoubtedly associated with the amazingly beautiful capital of the Czech Republic. But not a single description of the sights of Prague can do without a unique architectural complex, a wonderful example of the magnificent baroque style, proudly located in the center of the historical city, not far from Charles Bridge. We are talking about Clementinum, the famous temple of science and art, created several centuries ago by mysterious Jesuits.
Jesuit Bastion
In the middle of the 16th century, representatives of the famous Jesuit Order appeared in Prague with the light hand of Ferdinand I, who were supposed to assist him in confronting the Reformation. Their home was the former Dominican monastery of St. Clement, built in the XI century near the Charles Bridge in the Old City. It was here that the members of the fraternity founded the Jesuit College, which became one of the largest of its kind.
The Jesuits, striving for the widespread dissemination of the Catholic faith, rapidly grew rich and increased their power. They turned a small monastery into a grandiose complex of baroque buildings, unsurpassed in their beauty and grandeur. The construction boom lasted from 1622 until the middle of the 18th century. Clementinum blossomed with the Order of the Jesuits.
In 1622, Clementinum and Charles University, considered one of the most significant educational institutions in the Czech Republic, were reunited by the Jesuits. The colossal size of the library came together, for which a separate building was built.
Since 1654, the newly-minted university was called Karlo Ferdinandovsky, until in the 19th century it was divided into Czech and German.
What is included in the Prague Clementinum complex?
The clementinum in Prague has been modified many times. New halls and churches were attached, magnificent gardens were broken. But to this day, this complex has come in excellent condition and is now an interesting example of late baroque, the second largest after another grandiose historical complex - Prague Castle.
Fans of history, architecture and painting just need to visit the following places here:
- Mirror chapel.
- University library.
- Astronomical tower.
- Church of Christ the Savior.
- Mathematical Museum.
- Meridian's room.
Due to the fact that there are very few excursions in Russian in Prague, each tourist is given a booklet in his native language. And even in these circumstances, the beauty, wealth and grace of the old rooms will not diminish in the least.
Chapel in honor of the virgin mary
The Mirror Chapel, erected in 1724, is an amazing combination of an old religious symbol and a magnificent concert hall.
The chapel got its name for the decoration of the interior. The walls of the architectural masterpiece from floor to ceiling are decorated with mirrors, and in the stucco molding of the hemispherical ceiling there are also mirror elements in which the stars of the magnificent marble floor are reflected. All this creates an incomparable feeling of infinity and lightness of space with nothing.
Beautiful frescoes on the ceiling are dedicated to biblical events related to the Annunciation of the Virgin. Earlier, in the depths of the chapel, there was a rich altar, which now replaces the organ of ancient work of the late XVIII century. There is another organ in the chapel, which is closer to the entrance. The age of this extraordinary musical instrument is even more respectable, because it was created by masters at the end of the eighteenth century. He also knows that he remembers the great Mozart, who played this instrument during his stay in Prague.
Due to its unsurpassed acoustic properties, the chapel has become the venue for concerts of classical music. The uniqueness of the chapel lies in the fact that two organs in it can sound absolutely in unison, which is rare for such instruments.
Temple of Science and Art
Reorganized by the monks of the Jesuit Order , now the National Library of the Czech Republic is a place that simply cannot be left unattended when telling about the Clementinum of Prague.
The building of this unique library, the pearl of the Czech Republic, was erected in 1727. Currently, the library has hundreds of thousands of priceless books, including manuscripts. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are literally bursting with an abundance of valuable volumes, most of which are written in Latin, German and Italian.
The ceiling of the hall is decorated with skillfully executed frescoes symbolizing Science and Art. In the very center of the ceiling is the famous fresco "Temple of Wisdom" by Joseph Dibel.
The book room is also notable for a collection of ancient rare globes, maps of geographic and starry skies created by the Jesuits. To consider them in detail, unfortunately, is not possible due to the limited entrance to the hall.
Of course, the rarest tomes are available only to specialists, and even with individual permission, but in the Clementinum of Prague there is also a reading room that immerses its visitors in the unforgettable atmosphere of the 18th century baroque.
Visegrad Code
And even though you won’t be able to look through a copy of an old book in the library’s bookroom, you should not be upset. In the small foyer preceding the room with books, an exact copy of the rarest manuscript of the 11th century, the Visegrad Codex, is exhibited especially for lovers of antiquity.
The Visegrad Codex (also called the Coronation Code), created in 1086, is dedicated to the enthronement of the first Czech king, Vratislav II. One of the rarest and most valuable manuscripts of the Czech Republic is a collection of gospels and theological texts. The significance of this manuscript is so great that it was insured for 1 billion crowns.
Clementinum in Prague is simply a storehouse of historical rarities that are found everywhere here. So, next to the Vysehrad Codex, in the lobby of the library you can see the astronomical instrument of the famous Kepler - the sextant, which helped the scientist in his scientific research.
Astronomical tower
If you are still looking for something to see in Prague on your own, then no doubt head to the Clementinum Astronomical Tower.
The tower was erected in 1723 by order of Chancellor Frantisek Retz. At the top of its dome, a Atlanta figure flaunts with a celestial sphere in his hands. Since the mid-18th century, it acquired the status of an observatory and became a center for conducting astronomical, meteorological and mathematical research. There is a curious exposition of telescopes, mathematical and astronomical instruments. One of the sights of the Clementinum of Prague and the Astronomical Tower is the hourglass of old work, which is still perfectly accurate.
In 1928, astronomical research began to be carried out in the new observatory, and since 1939 only the meteorological observations relevant to modern Central Europe have been recorded in the tower.
The observation deck of the tower, located at an altitude of 50 m, is a real find for visitors. Climbing here along a narrow spiral staircase, you can contemplate the beautiful view of the historical center of Prague, located at a glance.
Unfortunately, in the last decades of the last century, the Astronomical Tower was closed to tourists. Only in 2000, an architectural monument of the XVIII century, which came to us in its original form, was cleared of trash and rodents and again available for visiting.
Meridian Room
On the Old Town Square, near the monument to Jan Hus, there is a paved line that differs from the paving of the rest of the square. This is the Prague Meridian. The fact is that at astronomical noon the shadow of a column located near this line falls exactly on it. This was the warning of the townspeople about the afternoon.
In honor of this meridian, a room in one of the towers of Clementinum is named. Only his prototype here is a string stretched across the entire room. As soon as noon arrives, a ray of sunshine peering here through a tiny hole in the wall crosses this string. This served as a signal to alert citizens about the onset of noon. Until 1918 this honorable mission was carried out by a tower cannon by means of a shot, and later they simply signaled from the tower, waving a flag.
Church of the Holy Savior
During the heyday of the Jesuit Order, this most valuable monument of early Baroque architecture was considered the main temple of the Order. It was built on the site of a former Dominican monastery.
What kind of trials the church did not have to endure! During the Hussite uprising, he was burnt to the ground, and then rebuilt by the wealthy Jesuits. The longest erection and decoration involved the greatest architects and artists: Carlo Lurago, Francesco Caratti, Giovanni Bartolomeo Comet and many others.
At the entrance to the church, tourists are greeted by an artistic colonnade painted by the unsurpassed Giovanni Comet, and from the portico they are greeted by the elaborate statues of the church fathers, the holy Jesuit order, Christ and the Virgin Mary. Artistic plaster and confessional decorated with statues of the 12 apostles amaze with their elegance and beauty.
It also hosts wonderful organ concerts, which are appreciated not only among local residents, but also among many tourists.
Curious facts
It is interesting to know that:
- Centuries ago, a Jesuit named Konias burned 30,000 volumes of books considered "heretical" in the local library.
- According to legend, the Jesuits arrived in the city with a single book and only then collected a huge library fund.
- In 2005, the Clementinum Library received the UNESCO Special Memory of the World Prize.
- A small portion of the manuscripts was provided by Google for scanning and public access to Google Books.
- Since January 2017, Clementinum has been closed for large-scale restoration for 2 years.