On the roof of Santini's church at Zelená hora, gargoyles will return

Žďár nad Sázavou - The reconstruction of the roof of St. John of Nepomuk Church at Zelená Hora in Žďár nad Sázavou, a UNESCO monument, will cost six million crowns. It was damaged by a storm this June, which expedited the planned overall restoration. The trusses affected by wood-destroying fungi and insects will be repaired, and instead of regular rain gutters, gargoyles will return to the roof at the request of preservationists. Carpenters have already begun anchoring the trusses to better protect the already reconstructed unique vault of the church, said Libor Karásek, the director of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) office in the Vysočina region, to ČTK today.
    According to the castle curator Karel Straka, a total of four million crowns will be allocated for the repairs of the UNESCO monument this year. Restoration continues on the interiors, specifically on the plaster and railing of the first gallery. The roof repairs will not be completed until next year; six million is the contracted total cost. Nearly three million crowns will go to carpentry work, over two million for roofing work, and the rental and construction of scaffolding will cost one million crowns. "This year, the roofing work on the damaged parts of the roof should be completed by the end of November. The project for strengthening the trusses was completed in 2002 and has now expanded to include the stabilization of the damage. Carpenters can work through the winter," Straka told ČTK.
    The region provided NPÚ with a subsidy of 200,000 crowns for emergency work immediately after the disaster. The storm carried away part of the metal roofing and trusses from the church roof. The fallen roofing and formwork damaged the church's cloister and around 40 adjacent graves. The wind also broke several trees around the church.
    The restoration of the church interior began in 2002 after the state invested 60 million crowns in the rescue of the surrounding cloisters. It is estimated to be about halfway completed.
    St. John of Nepomuk Church at Zelená Hora is one of the masterpieces of architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl. The foundation stone was laid in 1720. It has the shape of a five-pointed star, which appears in various forms in the exterior and interior of the pilgrimage complex in the spirit of intricate Johannine symbolism.