On the Žďár Zelená Hora, the first part of the church's plaster is undergoing renovation

Žďár nad Sázavou - Builders have begun repairing the exterior plaster of the Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora in Žďár. The restoration of this UNESCO-listed monument will cost 45 million crowns and will last until 2020. It will also involve doors, windows, and the interior. In the final phase, the former cemetery between the church and the ambits will be transformed into a pilgrimage meadow. František Laštovička, who provides technical supervision for the project, said this to reporters today. Tourist tours at Zelená hora will continue as before.

Work started in the spring, with scaffolding covering a third of the church. Representatives of the parish managing Zelená hora discussed with heritage officials today the procedure for reinforcing and connecting variously aged sections of the plaster.

"Because here we have both baroque plasters preserved from the original construction of Santini, and then plasters from several repairs," said Pavel Jerie from the General Directorate of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) to ČTK. Some of the plaster dates back to after the church fire in the 18th century, while the youngest part is from the last repair carried out in the 1970s. "Surprisingly, the baroque plasters are in the best condition, although they are relatively few in number," Jerie noted.

The monument is in a condition appropriate to its age and maintenance, Jerie stated. According to him, the repairs in the 1970s were conducted very sensitively for their time. "Many of those plasters were preserved," he pointed out.

The church, a work of architect Jan Blažej Santini Aichel, was consecrated in 1722 and became a sought-after pilgrimage site. The period of flourishing for the complex was interrupted by a fire in 1784. The Roman Catholic parish has managed Zelená hora since 2014. They have been promised a European grant for the repairs.

According to Laštovička, the repairs of the exterior plaster should be completed next year. The windows in the upper part of the church, which were once partially bricked up, will also return to their original appearance. The stained glass windows in the church will be restored to their original look, resembling honeycombs. A restoration of the interior will follow, with the church floor returning to its original condition.

Last year, 33,000 tourists visited Zelená hora. This year's attendance is currently somewhat higher than at the same time last year.