The Church and Monastery of Our Lady of the Snows in Prague

The Old Library

Above the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk is situated the old monastery library (sometimes called "little Strahov"), which was established by Bernard Sannig in 1678 and adapted into its present form in 1760. Although it is not very well known, it is one of the most important baroque monastery libraries to be preserved in Prague. The walls are lined with noteworthy baroque bookcases with carved early rococo upper panels. The vault of the library hall is decorated with stucco cartouches with rococo paintings depicting apostles, doctors of the church, and Franciscan theologians, likewise dating from 1760. Many valuable printed and manuscript books are preserved in the library.