The Museum and Gallery in Ceska Lipa (VMG) is housed in the premises of the former Augustinian monastery, founded in 1627 by Albrecht von Wallenstein. The monastery church of All Saints is connected to the area. The construction of the extensive monastery complex lasted almost 140 years. At the end of the 17th century the chapel of the Virgin Mary Loretánská was built, which was reopened for visitors after the reconstruction in 2000.
The Loretán Chapel surrounds the cobbled corridor, the chapels in the corners and the Holy Stairs. Today, these rooms serve to hold regular exhibitions. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity with an altar from the Baroque painter Ignaz Joseph Raab is accessible directly from the cloister. The chapel is decorated with woodcuts of the Cross Way from Bezděz. It is used as a concert, wedding and lecture hall and now bears the name of Baroque music composer Ignaz Bieber, born in nearby Stráž pod Ralskem. One of the former corner chapels of the cloister is now open to a historical bookstore where visitors can see the work of a bookbinder.
The museum’s predecessor was the Excursionsclub, established in 1878. The museum’s own history began in 1899 when the Association of Museums was established and the museum was opened in 1900. The museum’s collections are based on natural sciences, social sciences and libraries, Local clubs and enthusiastic individual collectors – donors of the museum.
Nowadays, the professionals take care of almost half a million items and expand and complement the collection. On an area of 22604 ft², the museum exhibits permanent exhibits at 5400 exhibits.
Monastery garden
An integral part of the museum is a monastery garden, which is publicly accessible. It has an area of 5956 square meters, it is designed in the Renaissance-French gardens in the clean lines of green areas and pedestrian ways. The central part consists of a garden theater / amphitheater / which follows the building of the Crystal Culture House. Ornamental flowers and healing aromatic herbs are planted on green areas.
For more information about the Liberec Region where this place is located click here.
