Global Treasures: Melk Abbey

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1193

UPC: 879061007927

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

The fine buildings of the Benedictine monastery of Melk Abbey majestically rise up from a plateau above the fascinating town on the River Danube. The elegant, yellow buildings of the monastery have become well-known far beyond Austria.

The monastery's 1800 manuscripts are extremely valuable, and although many treasures were destroyed by a devastating fire, the oldest texts date back to the early 9th century.

The 18th century marked the beginning of extensive construction work in the monastery that subsequently transformed the church into an enchanting example of Baroque design.

The exquisite design of the church's splendid interior was mostly the work of Italian architect Antonio Beduzzi, but it is the remarkable architecture of the central Baroque buildings that have given Melk Abbey its reputation as being an icon of occidental monastery culture.