In the fall, the Italians will complete the reconstruction of the Vlašská Chapel

Prague - The repair of the Vlašská Chapel in the center of Prague, which is part of the Clementinum and belongs to the Italian state, should be completed by September. Restorers have been working on the frescoes in the interior since spring; the dome is already finished and they are progressing downwards. "We have money for the current work, and we would like to gather funds for the repair of the altars and other elements in the interior," said the Italian Ambassador Aldo Amati during a tour of the chapel today.

"After many years of being closed, the chapel will reopen. It will be used by the Greek Catholic Church," said the ambassador.

Last year, the repair of the roof and facade was completed, as well as the restoration of the portal and baroque grilles. According to the ambassador, the frescoes were primarily worked on by Italian restorers, assisted by their Czech colleagues. Amati praised the collaboration with local heritage experts. It was important to agree on which historical layer to uncover and in what form to preserve the chapel's decoration.

It was created at the end of the 16th century and features artistic and architectural interventions from as late as the 19th century. Especially regarding the decoration of the interior, this was sometimes complicated. If the restorers searched for the oldest paintings, it could happen that there would be white spaces left in some places, so they decided to keep the 19th-century paintings, explained the ambassador. The main altar painting and other elements from the interior are now in the building of the Italian Embassy on Nerudova Street.

The chapel on Karlova Street was closed for two decades; there were numerous attempts to repair it, but each was complicated by the unusual situation of the building, which is located in the center of Prague; the Czech state declared it a heritage site, but it is owned by Italy. In addition to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Czech Ministry of Culture also contributed to the current reconstruction, mainly for the facade, with financial support from the City of Prague, as well as from the city district of Prague 1, the Greek Catholic Church, and private sponsors. Embassy representatives previously stated that the cost of the reconstruction would be around 900,000 euros (24.3 million crowns).

The Vlašská Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands on the Royal Route and is part of the Clementinum complex. It is said to have been built in a Mannerist style between 1590 and 1597 by Domenico Bossi according to a design by Ottaviano Mascarino. It was created for the needs of Italians settled in Prague, hence its name. Amati reminded today that the Vlašská Chapel holds great significance for Italians. "We would like to revive the Marian congregation that was involved in its founding and also built a hospital with the chapel of the Virgin Mary and St. Charles Borromeo on Vlašská Street, where the Italian Cultural Institute is now located," said the ambassador.