Jičín is preparing to renovate Valdická Gate, the project has been extended to include the static stabilization of the facade

Jičín - The city of Jičín plans to expand the prepared project documentation for the repair of Valdická Gate to include solutions for the statics of the external shell of the tower. The cost of the project documentation, which is being prepared by the company Lanostav restoration of monuments, will thus increase by about two-fifths to 585,000 crowns excluding tax. The city hall should have the repair project by the end of June, after which it will address the timelines and financing of the restoration of the monument, which is one of the symbols of the city. This was stated by the city hall spokesperson Jan Jireš.

The project documentation should also indicate the estimated cost of repairing the tower, which was built in the second half of the 16th century during the era of the Trčka family from Lípa. In the past, the city hall estimated the costs of repairing the 52-meter-high gate to be ten million crowns.

The poor condition of the stone shell of the gate was discovered the spring before last during work on one of the gate's windows. Consequently, the city commissioned the development of a comprehensive repair project. Lanostav has previously conducted a survey of the masonry on the tower. Last year, it repaired the fillings of the joints between stones that were in a state of emergency.

The project will address the repair of masonry facades including stone elements, the restoration of the plasters of the walkway level, and decorative elements. It will also focus on the stone and stucco coat of arms of the city, the bells and dial of the clock tower, and the highest level, where there is a walkway with worn stone slabs. The project will also include the repair of the roof structure and wooden railings, ceilings of the walkway, dormers, and roof covering.

Some construction methods used in the past during the construction and subsequent reconstructions are outdated or obsolete. "The expert company is therefore to propose solutions that will be in accordance with current standards and will preserve the appearance and character of the monument," the spokesperson stated. The city would like to obtain a grant for the repair of the tower.

The Renaissance gate has survived as the only one of the three towers of the city fortifications. Plans by Italian architects, invited to Jičín by Albrecht von Wallenstein, included its demolition for the expansion of the square, which was abandoned after the military leader's death in 1634.

The current shape of the tower was obtained in 1840, when a viewing platform was added at a height of 32 meters and the roof was given a pyramidal shape. The gate is accessible to the public, with 156 steps leading to the walkway.