The area of the monastery in Plasy is undergoing modifications, and its courtyard is being changed

Plasy (Plzeň Region) - The area of the former Cistercian monastery in Plasy in northern Plzeň is undergoing modifications, and its historical courtyard is being renewed. The space in the middle of the complex will partially return some elements from the time of owner Metternich, who commissioned garden modifications in English style. Neglected trees have been removed, a network of paths is being created, and landscaping work is planned, etc. Archaeologists are examining the area and report numerous findings, said the monastery administrator Pavel Duchoň to ČTK.
    “The courtyard is being divided into three parts, the main works are currently taking place, meaning the center is being worked on first, and then it will move to the sides,” he stated. Among other things, the plan includes changing the direction of paths in the area, with the convent building to be newly entered from the courtyard, around which the buildings are grouped.
    According to Duchoň, the monastery remained a construction site after its abolition in 1785. The Metternich family, its owners since 1826, began to give it some form, but that disappeared after 1945. In the meantime, the courtyard area has overgrown. After complete revitalization, the courtyard will gain a more Baroque appearance, but not entirely. Some Metternich elements will be preserved, with historical drawings and old documents serving as models. These documents confirm the gradual use of garden elements in English style after Metternich took over; the area had avenues, hedges, and flower beds.
    “Archaeologists are currently discovering old situations there as part of their research, dating back to the medieval period. It is a tremendous understanding of what the monastery looked like in the Middle Ages and also in the Baroque period,” Duchoň stated. They managed to find, among other things, a large number of historical drainage channels, old wells, and other interesting artifacts.
    The investor of the project is the town of Plasy, which received 11.5 million Czech crowns from the Regional Operational Program Southwest for a project called Paths of the Monastery - Paths to Knowledge, with the total value of the work amounting to 16.5 million crowns. The restoration of the courtyard is expected to be completed by the end of this year.