The building of the North Bohemian Gallery in Litoměřice is in poor condition

Ústí nad Labem - The building of the North Bohemian Gallery of Fine Arts in Litoměřice is in very poor condition. It is necessary to immediately renovate the roof, the state of which threatens adjacent structures. The Ústí Region will immediately allocate one million crowns for repairs, with an additional ten million in stages. This was stated today by the deputy governor Jiří Řehák (Allies for the Region).

The condition of the roof is critical. "Upon subsequent inspection, it was found that far more serious and demanding changes need to be made. The work is estimated to require more than ten million crowns," said Řehák. According to him, it will be necessary to remediate and repair the walls. The region, which is the founder of the organization, will draw the funds from a received loan.

The North Bohemian Gallery in Litoměřice was opened to the public in 1958 and is one of the oldest art museums in the Czech Republic. Currently, it utilizes three separate buildings for exhibition purposes. The main building on Michalská Street houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to Gothic art and also has spaces for temporary exhibitions. This particular building is in poor condition. The multi-story structure stands against the Gothic city wall from the 14th century and is adjacent to the defensive courtyard. The Renaissance burgher house was built on the remains of originally Gothic structures.

The gallery also includes the Diocesan Museum in Litoměřice and, in the rear section, the Museum of Naïve Art. For seasonal exhibitions and other cultural events, the gallery utilizes the deconsecrated Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Litoměřice.

According to Deputy Governor Jiří Kulhánek (ODS), some other buildings owned by the region's contributory organizations are also in poor condition. "For years, there has been no investment in them, maintenance has been neglected in recent years. We are trying to rectify this," said Kulhánek. The region wants to create an overview of properties that require investment due to reconstruction or because their operation is energy-intensive.