NPÚ is preparing the renovation of the castle and the Manor House in Litomyšl

photo: www.litomysl.cz

Litomyšl - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) is preparing two major projects for the renovation of the castle and the Panský house in Litomyšl. The construction costs are expected to reach around 250 million crowns, and heritage conservators want to obtain most of it from grants from the Integrated Regional Operational Program. The castle underwent such extensive renovations last in the 1970s, said NPÚ spokesperson at Sychrov, Lucie Bidlasová.

"We would like to restore the roofs, roof coverings, chimneys, and we would also focus on the restoration of sgraffito. If this project goes well, it will be the largest renovation and restoration of the castle in the past 40 years," said Bidlasová.

The project titled "Divine Castle" also includes the creation of a visitor center, the restoration of the Column Hall on the ground floor, and the establishment of facilities for organizing cultural and social events. The plan includes the creation of a smaller concert hall on the third floor in the space of the old castle theater, as well as a multimedia exhibition dedicated to sgraffito decoration and Renaissance architecture. There are also plans to modify the art gallery to allow for year-round operation and a dignified presentation of a unique collection of works by Julia Mařák, Karel Čapek, František Kupka, and Max Švabinský. An important part will also be a new exhibition focusing on the preserved castle theater and the presentation of the stage sets by Josef Platzer, the most prominent creator of stage sets for Czech and Austrian theaters in the second half of the 18th century.

The second proposed project, titled "Panský House - Deposit of Fine Arts," involves the preservation and restoration of the building, including the adaptation of the area in front of the monument into a recreational zone. A gallery accessible year-round will be located on the third floor, while a working depositary will be on the second floor. The ground floor will be transformed into workshops for the operation of the castle and facilities for restorers.

About a third of the sgraffito in the castle is original from the Renaissance or Baroque period, while the rest dates from the restoration of sgraffito decoration in the 1970s and 1980s and is an authorial work of a team led by Olbram Zoubek. Václav Boštík, Zdeněk Palcr, Stanislav Podhrázský, and Olbram Zoubek spent every construction season between 1974 and 1987 on scaffolding at the facades of the castle, with some continuing work until 1993.

Heritage conservators plan to apply for the grant in the spring of next year. According to castle steward Zdeňka Kalová, the renovations will only minimally restrict the operation of the castle.

Six years ago, heritage conservators submitted a request for 200 million crowns from European grants. They allegedly had too little time to prepare the project and did not receive the funds. In contrast, Litomyšl received a grant and completed the renovation of the castle hill two years ago after three years of work at a cost of 412 million crowns.