Stift Melk Abbey, Austria
Stift Melk Abbey is one of the most beautiful baroque ensembles in Europe. It has been the spiritual and cultural center of Austria for more than 900 years.
The Melk Abbey is home to beautiful festivities and concerts during Advent, Christmas, and summer. In 2015, Melk Abbey was awarded by TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE FOR EXCELLENCE.
The Melk Abbey Library, one of the most beautiful libraries in Europe
The Melk Abbey (Stift Melk) was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria, gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey.
A monastic school, the Stiftsgymnasium Melk, was founded in the twelfth century, and the monastic library soon became renowned for its extensive manuscript collection.
Early monastic life of the Abbey
The monastery also stored the production of manuscripts. In the fifteenth century, the Abbey became the center of the Melk Reform movement, which reinvigorated the monastic life of Austria and Southern Germany.[New Advent]
Stift Melk Baroque style
The current Baroque style was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer. Particularly noteworthy is the abbey church with frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr.
The library has countless medieval manuscripts, including an outstanding collection of musical manuscripts and frescos by Paul Troger.
Restoration of the Melk Abbey
The Abbey that stands today, built-in 1702, caught fire in 1974, leading to its restoration from 1978 to 1995. The Melk Abbey was recently selected as the central motif of a 10-euro collectors’ coin.
