The NPÚ assessed the colonnade in Luhačovice or the discovery of a medieval wall

photo: NPÚ

Prague - The renovation of the spa colonnade in Luhačovice and the archaeological discovery of a wall from the early 12th century at the castle in Břeclav have received the Patrimonium pro futuro award from the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). The CTK news agency was informed today by NPÚ spokesperson Jana Hartmanová. The jury selected the winners from 23 nominees in four main categories, and three special awards from the general director of NPÚ were also granted, including an award for an individual in heritage care and a public award for the public thanks to monuments.

The awards are presented for the best achievements in heritage care. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's ceremonial award presentation, which was supposed to take place in the Pantheon of the National Museum, could not be held.

The Luhačovice spa received the award in the category of heritage restoration - renovation. The jury awarded it for the restoration of the spa colonnade with the Vincentka hall, highlighting the comprehensive approach to the restoration, which resulted in an overall cultivation of the space and the restoration of one of the key qualities of the local architecture, which is the integration of nature into architecture.

The discovery of the wall from the early 12th century at the castle in Břeclav made the archaeological organization Archaia Brno the winner of the category discovery - find of the year. According to the organizers, there is no comparable find of this magnitude in the Czech lands. The discovery of the remains of the wall from the early 12th century at the Břeclav castle follows previous rescue archaeological research, during which substantial destruction of burned mud bricks was detected in 2009 and 2018. Now, archaeologists have uncovered a significant amount of charred wood in the lower layer, confirming that these are parts of the wall structure, a unique find in terms of scale and age dating back to the fortified settlement period.

According to archaeologists, the find is extraordinary in terms of the preserved structures, allowing the observation of the technology used in the construction of the wall, as well as dating - based on the age of the wood used, the fortification dates back to 1108. Archaeologists believe that a similar find may lie beneath the adjoining areas of the castle, and it has been agreed that this will remain untouched during further renovations.

In the category of value presentation, the team of creators of the exhibition From Stone to Sculpture at the renovated Municipal Museum in Hořice received the award. The award in the category of monument rescue was awarded to Jan Havelka, Petr Pivoňka, Alena Pivoňková, and the Dubáci Association for the restoration of Beran's inn in Trávníček in the Liberec region. The jury appreciated the complexity of the restoration and the association's efforts to restore the accompanying function of inns as a center for social and cultural gatherings.

NPÚ director Naďa Goryczková granted three extraordinary awards. The Academy of Fine Arts received an award for its consistent approach to the renovation of the School of Architecture, while the Martinice Railway History Society received one for the opening of its museum and educational trail at the Martinice Station. The third extraordinary award went to the Lenešice Beautifying Society for the rescue of the church of St. Simon and Jude in Lenešice in the Louny region.

The individual of the heritage care was archaeologist David Merta, founder of the public benefit company Archaia and a long-term promoter of an interdisciplinary approach to historical objects.