Prague is the European capital home to the Klementinum, whose Baroque library hall opened in 1722.
The Klementinum, also spelled Clementinum, is a historic complex in Prague's Old Town. Its site developed from a Dominican monastery and later became a major Jesuit educational center. After the Jesuits were suppressed in the 18th century, the complex continued to serve scholarly and cultural purposes.
The Baroque library hall was completed in 1722 and is noted for its painted ceiling, historic globes and rows of theological and philosophical books. The complex also contains the Astronomical Tower and the Chapel of Mirrors. The library's collections form part of the National Library of the Czech Republic.
The Klementinum is sometimes confused with Prague's Strahov Monastery, which also has celebrated historic library halls. The Klementinum additionally has a long scientific history: systematic meteorological observations began there in 1775 and continue as part of one of Europe's longest-running records.