Queen Rejčka’s manuscripts

This exhibition of Queen Rejčka‘s manuscripts you can visit at the Moravian Literature Museum in Rajhrad close Brno till May 30, 2010.

The Museum of Literature in Moravia exhibits a collection of valuable manuscripts, which were made for the Queen Elisabeth Rejčka (a wife of Czech King Wenceslas II. and Rudolf I of Habsburg) in the 14th century. The exhibition presents three originals of manuscripts preserved in our country, five manuscripts are presented in digital form. Collection consisted of 8 volumes of manuscripts, which were spread to the property of various institutions after the abolition of the monastery in 1782.

Rajhrad is a little town, the history of which goes back to the Stone Age. There is an abbey of an old Benedictine monastery – the oldest monastery in Moravia. Giovanni B. Santini was the architect of the Baroque reconstruction of the monastery complex. The monastery consists of the complex of one-floor buildings, mainly concentrated around the main courtyard. The Church of St. Peter and Paul is richly decorated with sculptures, paintings and frescoes. The main altar with the sculpture of Jesus Christ is made of 45 kinds of European marble, including the marble from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land. The convent was decorated with paintings by old masters. Also wine cellars were a part of the monastery. Wine (called “Rajhradské klášterní) has still been produced there.

Following extensive building repairs, the Museum of Literature in Moravia has been opened at the premises of the Benedictine monastery in Rajhrad since 2005.
Rajhrad has been famous as a centre of culture for a long time. From the monastery gallery, for example, came the Gothic passion paintings of the Master of the Rajhrad altarpiece, presently stored in galleries in Prague and Brno. The permanent exhibition presents examples of Moravian literature from the past 1,000 years and allows one to see parts of the monastery premises, including the church, capitular hall and cloisters. The restored historical library, with 7,500 volumes on display, is the undeniable jewel of the exhibition. The library of the Benedictine monastery in Rajhrad is one of the largest monastery libraries in the Czech Republic. A large number of unique books are housed in its collection, which consists of 65,000 old volumes and printed works from the 19th century. You can find out what is available by searching through the pages of an original catalogue, as well as by checking a digital catalogue.
The Brno–Vienna International Cycle Track leads to the monastery, and a visit to the grounds can be made even more pleasant for visitors by a visit to the Monastery Tavern restaurant.
The museum is open all year round.