Borges said, "If there is a paradise, it must be like a library," and the Austrian National Library in Vienna is what heaven looks like. For book lovers, this library is the only reason to come to Vienna.
The Austrian National Library is the largest library in Austria, with a collection of around 6.5 million volumes. Founded by the Habsburgs, the library was originally called the Royal Library, dating back 448 years, before changing to its current name in 1918. The most striking room in the library is the Baroque-style Pronk Room.
In the 18th century, after escaping the threat of the Turks, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI ordered the construction of this palace library. Today, his statue still stands in the middle of the Pronk Hall. This statue is handsome and handsome, and the momentum of the emperor is overwhelming.
The Pronk Hall is about 80 meters long and has an oval dome 30 meters high, and the roof is decorated with ornate frescoes. The content of the fresco revolves around war and peace, celebrating the heroism, wisdom and glory of Charles VI. The frescoes were painted by the Austrian court painter Daniel Glen, who also painted the frescoes of st. Anna's church in Vienna and the abbey church of Herzogenburg.
The Plonker Hall displays 200,000 books, published in the 16th and 19th centuries, many of which were first editions of the book, which are very precious. Black walnut bookshelves, marble floors, marble statues of 16 ancestors and magnificent murals make the Plonk Hall magnificent, while four "golden balls" made at the end of the 17th century with a diameter of more than one meter add to the Plonk Hall, which are two globes and two celestial globes, of which the blue ball depicts the constellation distribution of the celestial dome. The Austrian National Library houses more than 600 globes and celestial globes.
Books are an extension of thought, and libraries are the habitat of the soul. However, the emperor will be keen to collect books and like to build a magnificent library, and has another meaning: to highlight the greatness of the empire at that time. Charles VI demanded that the library be open to all, but refused to admit the unlearned, the idle, the boastful and ostentatious, and the provocative.
Medieval antiquities from the Collection of the Austrian National Library
Cui Ying: Journalist, documentary filmmaker, columnist, PhD of the University of Edinburgh, loves walking and literature, likes to collect old illustration books from all over the world, and has published books such as "British Illustrators" and "British Illustration Book Collection".
Author:Cui Ying
Editor: Jiang Chuting