Heritage conservators appreciated the rescue and restoration of churches and chapels

Prague/Bučovice - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) today acknowledged significant achievements in heritage care from last year. In all four categories, the jury recognized interventions and care associated with sacred buildings. The Patrimonium pro futuro (Heritage for the Future) award was given to the restoration of the church in Úštěk, the discovery of a timber structure in the chapel in Odry, the rescue of the church in Horní Maršov, and the accessibility of the rotunda of St. Wenceslas in Prague.

The rescue of the early medieval rotunda at Charles University was also selected as the most interesting by the public in an online vote. Ian Kennaway, a Brit, was declared the personality of heritage care at the castle in Bučovice, where the awards were presented today. The man, who has been helping Czech heritage experts since the early 1990s, was recently honored by the Czech Ministry of Culture as well.

The Patrimonium pro futuro awards have been awarded since 2014. NPÚ highlights examples of good care for cultural monuments, which are not only state-owned but also in the hands of private individuals.

In the category of monument restoration, the award was given to the Society for the Restoration of Monuments of Úštěk for the construction restoration of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Konojedy near Úštěk. The late Baroque church became the subject of bank pledges in the 1990s, and the large area deterred potential investors. Since 2011, it has had a new owner who, with the help of the mentioned association, repaired it and opened it to the public last year.

The award in the category of discovery of the year was given to the town of Odry in the Novojičínsko region for the discovery of a timber structure and painted ceiling in the cemetery chapel of the Holy Family in Odry. The structure with clay plaster and lime coating dates back to the early 18th century, the painted ceiling is early Baroque, and the town allowed for the sensitive restoration of all found elements by redesigning the reconstruction project, the jury stated.

In the category of monument rescue, the award went to the municipality of Horní Maršov and the Aichelburg Castle Society for the rescue of the cemetery church in Horní Maršov in the Trutnov region. The fate of the Renaissance church illustrates the situation of sacred buildings that lost their use after the expulsion of the German population. After the initial phases of rescue, the municipality acquired the church and completed the restoration, emphasizing the preservation of the authenticity of the spaces and all construction phases.

The Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University received the award in the category of presentation of values for making the rotunda of St. Wenceslas in Malá Strana, Prague accessible. Remains of the building were discovered in 2004 during the renovation of the building. The school displayed the rotunda even during the restoration, and today the exhibition introduces visitors to the unique torso of the rotunda as well as the work carried out. A virtual 3D tour is available on the website www.rotunda.pano3d.cz.