Explore #221 The second-oldest monastery in Prague, Strahov was founded high above Malá Strana in 1143 by Vladislav II. It's still home to Premonstratensian monks, a scholarly order closely related to the Jesuits, and their dormitories and refectory are off-limits. What draws visitors are the monastery's ornate libraries. Over the centuries, the monks have assembled one of the world's best collections of philosophical and theological texts, including illuminated (decorated with colored designs) manuscripts and first editions. There are more than 42 000 old prints. The rich wood-accented Philosophical Library's 14m-high (46-ft.) ceiling is decorated with a 1794 fresco entitled The Struggle of Mankind to Know Real Wisdom, by A. F. Maulpertsch, a Viennese master of rococo. Intricate woodwork frames the immense collection of books. View On Black