The Admont Monastery Library
"The eighth wonder of the world"
The Admont Monastery Library is one of the great masterpieces of European Late Baroque. It combines various forms of art (architecture, frescoes, sculptures, writings, and printed works) into a cohesive unity, serving as a repository of knowledge spanning centuries.
EXPERIENCE THE MONASTERY LIBRARY IN 3D
HOURS OF OPERATION ENTRANCE FEES BROWSE THROUGH BOOKS
The library hall
The late Baroque library hall, completed with a domed fresco in 1776, was commissioned by Abbot Matthäus Offner (reign 1751-1779). It was planned from around 1764 and built in the following years by the Austrian Baroque master builder Josef Hueber (1715-1787). Hueber was committed to the ideas of the Enlightenment: "Light should fill the room as well as the mind." The enormous room, divided into three parts, is the largest monastic library hall in the world. The seven ceiling frescoes, created by the 80-year-old Bartolomeo Altomonte (1694-1783) in the summer months of 1775 and 1776, also exude an Enlightenment spirit. They show the stages of human knowledge from thinking and speaking to the sciences and divine revelation in the centre dome.
Precious treasures
The bookshelves under this dome contain editions of the Bible and the Church Fathers, while the northern side hall contains theological literature and the southern hall all other specialised subjects. Abbey sculptor Josef Stammel (1695-1765) created the extensive sculptural works of art carved in lime wood in the ceremonial hall.
Particularly impressive are the "Four Last Things", a group of four larger-than-life depictions of death, judgement, heaven and hell. However, they were created earlier than the library and stand in contrast to the architect's enlightened concept.
The library hall houses about 70,000 volumes while the Abbey's entire collection of books consists of about 200,000 volumes. The most valuable treasures are the more than 1,400 manuscripts (from the 8th century) and the 530 incunabula (early prints up to the year 1500).
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Contemporary art in the Admont Abbey Library
For exhibitions of contemporary art that have so far been held in our Abbey Library, see below.
