Holešov wants to complete the repair of the roofs and facades of the castle this year

Holešov - The Holešov Town Hall plans to complete the repair of the roofs and facades of its castle this year, which began in 2014. The final stage of the work will require approximately ten million crowns, said Mayor Rudolf Seifert (TOP 09) to ČTK. The city is negotiating with the Ministry of Culture regarding funding to cover part of the costs.

"The castle requires further investments. In addition to completing the repair of the roofs and facades, it is also necessary to very soon reconstruct the entrance bridge to the castle, which is in quite poor condition. There are old vaults from the original bridge, possibly even from the original castle," Seifert stated. According to him, the next council meeting will likely decide on the future use and renovation of the currently sealed second floor of the castle.

The Renaissance castle was built in 1574 on the site of an earlier Gothic fortress from the 15th century, parts of which have survived to this day. At the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1643, the castle was plundered and burned by the Swedes. In this condition, it was purchased in 1651 by Count Jan von Rottal, who commissioned its reconstruction in the spirit of early Baroque. It was completed before 1674.

The last significant structural changes to the castle belong to the period of late classicism, that is, to the mid-19th century. In 1948, the castle was nationalized, and in 1992 it was restituted to a private owner, from whom the town hall purchased it in 2005 for 13.4 million crowns. Of the approximately 380 million crowns invested in repairs so far, more than 100 million crowns came from grants.

The city has repaired and opened the basement, ground floor, and first floor of the castle. The courtyard has also been repaired, and part of the garden. The second floor of the castle is sealed, with repair costs estimated to be in the tens of millions of crowns. The castle hosts exhibitions and concerts, the basement houses a music club, and the courtyard and garden are used for various events including festivals.