Due to more visitors, we are now open every day from 10 am to 6:30 pm.

Vyšehrad Codex

We exhibit facsimile of Vyšehrad Codex

The Vyšehrad Codex is a Latin coronation Gospel Book, considered the most important and most valuable manuscript kept in Bohemia. It was probably made to honour the corronation of the Czech King Vratislav II. in 1085, the book is also known as Coronation Gospels.

The manuscript includes one hundred and eight parchment folios, out of which twenty six pages are illuminated with portraits of the Evangelists, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, four types from the Old Testament and St. Wenceslas, the Czech Patron Saint. Its visual components rank it among the most precious illuminated manuscripts of the second half of the 11th century in Europe. The biggest portion of the manuscript was written by one scribe. The back plate of the Codex is also coated with fabric with a mandorla of Christ in Majesty sewn to it. According to recent research the Vyšehrad Codex was written in the environment of Bavarian monastery school with motifs of regensburg school of art. The place of origin was probably the Regensburg scriptorium Emmerames.
Codex was probably passed to Vratislav II. During the corronation at Prague Castle on 15 June 1085. Apparently, the King kept the Codex in his residence, Vyšehrad, after which the Codex got its name. In 1228, when there was another royal coronation in Prague, it may have been transferred to the Metropolitan Library of St. Vitus. Around 1619 it was taken to Dlouhá Ves to be saved from Calvinists. Since the second half of the 18th century the Codex has been kept in Klementinum, apart from the 2nd World War, when it was transferred to Karlštejn.
In 2005, the Vyšehrad Codex was classified as a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Currently, there is a facsimile of The Codex from 2012 displayed in Klementinum.

A must see Library and Tower

it is beautiful from start to finish. walking first to the baroque style library and se how old the stairs, books and styles was before where also you can smell the old books and floors. later on you can see the view of Prague from the observatory tower and the astronomical room and have a 360 degrees amazing view of the city of 100 spears.

Philip N
www.tripadvisor.cz

OMG.

Last week I held my first born son for the first time and if I am completely honest it was not even comparable to the experience of seeing the most beautiful library in the world. A trip to Prag without seeing the library is as stupid as paying for a cinema visit if you are blind.

virrezes
www.tripadvisor.cz

Stunning

This is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, and I must say it is breathtaking. We had a lovely tour guide, and you get amazing views from the top of the building. You can only enter as a part of the guided group of up to 20-25 people, and tours start every 30 minutes. It is possible to buy tickets for any of those. So you could go there in the morning, buy tickets, and come back later.

mbrnardic
www.tripadvisor.cz
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