The Jaroměřice church is preparing for the main part of the restoration in the dome

Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou - The renovated Baroque church of Saint Margaret in Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou in the Třebíč region awaits a crucial intervention - the replacement of the damaged roof structure at the peak of the massive dome, including the lantern that illuminates it. Parts of its construction have sagged by up to 18 centimeters. Restorers have already removed part of the unique painting, including the plaster. According to project manager Pavel Vlk from the Brno bishopric, the roof replacement will begin in two weeks. The repair of the temple, costing about 107 million crowns, began last autumn, with work expected to finish in 2022.

The dome of the Jaroměřice church is not made of bricks but is wooden. It is entirely covered with reeds, which bear a thick layer of quality plaster with painting. The area of the painting is more than 500 square meters. The lantern at the top is adorned with angels, and the main part of the dome features a fresco of Saint Margaret. God the Father, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Peter also look down from the vault. The gradual degradation of the wood has also damaged the plaster. Cracks in the plaster, according to Vlk, have opened up to three centimeters in some places.

Scaffolding, which will remain inside the temple until next spring, has now made the painting accessible. Work is also being done on the exterior walls and moisture removal. The non-original flooring and asphalt insulation, which only worsened the dampness of the walls, had to be removed. Parts of the floors and ceilings in the galleries have been replaced.

"The wooden elements of the structure are deeply damaged by wood-destroying insects. The formwork beneath the plaster layer is completely disintegrating," Vlk said. The removed plaster is now in the workshop of restorer and academic painter Jan Knorr.

According to Vlk, the roof replacement will be challenging not only because craftsmen will be working at a height of about 30 meters but also because the roof must not shift during the replacement of parts to avoid cracking the remaining plaster with painting, which has already undergone cleaning. "Beautifully detailed colors are already visible; a beautiful Italian dynamic painting has emerged from this," Vlk said. Some of the paintings, according to him, were last restored a hundred years ago.

The church of Saint Margaret is one of the first Baroque churches in Moravia. The fresco above its main nave, which is more than 20 meters long and 44 meters high including the lantern, was created by Karel František Tepper. The church, which was commissioned to be built by Jakub Prandtauer, was consecrated in 1738, although it was not completely finished. Its construction was affected by a lack of funds; the originally intended high masonry vault was replaced with a lower wooden one for that reason.

The reconstruction of the church will be largely financed by the Integrated Regional Operational Program. After the renovation, the church will have its original ochre color, which has already been returned to the adjacent castle years ago. The restorers' effort will also be to restore the façade to its original technical execution, where the illusion of columns is represented by scraping into the plaster. The technique used at the turn of the Renaissance and Baroque has been preserved in fragments under the non-original roofing in the southern part. Part of the repair is also the restoration of the southern terrace, which will serve as a meeting place for the parishioners and a venue for small cultural events, Vlk said.