Inside Switzerland's extraordinary medieval library
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- The Abbey Library of St Gallen in Switzerland is a remarkably well-preserved Baroque library with origins dating back 1,300 years to the early 7th Century, housing over 160,000 manuscripts and early printed works, including more than 2,100 medieval codices.
- The library contains one of the largest collections of Irish manuscripts in mainland Europe and an extensive archive of old High German texts, reflecting its role as both a religious institution and a center of knowledge and education.
- Despite centuries of religious and political upheaval, including the Protestant Reformation and the dissolution of the abbey, the library’s holdings have been carefully preserved and protected, maintaining their original location and integrity.
- The Abbey Library features intricate Baroque architecture
