its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to saint clement in the 11th century. a dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a jesuit college. in 1622 the jesuits transferred the library of charles university to the klementinum, and the college was merged with the university in 1654. the jesuits remained until 1773, when the klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the empress maria theresa of austria.