Admont Abbey Library

Although monasteries have been centers of learning and literacy since the Middle Ages, it is not until the 18th century that they reached their largest and most elegant forms. Case in point is the one at Admont Abbey deep in the Austrian Alps. It is the largest monastic library hall in the world, at almost 1,000 square meters in floor area and holding 70,000 volumes on its shelves. Just as impressive as its size, however, is its elaborate Baroque decoration, showcasing why the style is synonymous with grandeur.

Architect Josef Hueber modeled the library off of the Imperial Court Library in Vienna. The multitude of windows combined with the brightly painted interior ensures that no artificial light sources are needed. The dome frescoes, painted by Bartolomeo Altomonte in 1775-6, are meant to showcase different stages of human knowledge culminating in divine revelation, inspired by the Enlightenment. The library also contains impressive earlier sculptures designed by Josef Thaddäus Stammel.