The highlight of the Benedictine monastery, founded 1089 at Melk, was its library preserving tens of thousands of early manuscripts and books, dating back to the 9th century English monk, the Venerable Bede. Included in the collection were two large globes depicting the terrestrial and celestial worlds. Now that there are few monks at Melk, its extensive and dramatic Baroque structure serves as a coed Catholic high school for over 900 students from the region.
PHOTOS
1. Rules of St. Benedict, guide for monastic living since the 7th century
2. Library - main room
3. Baroque ceiling - trompe d'oeil, actually flat
4. Monastery entrance
5. Celestial globe - 15th century
No comments:
Post a Comment