The state will buy a chateau in Petrkov, it will house a center for literature

Prague – The state will buy and renovate a chateau in Petrkov near Havlíčkův Brod. A Czech-French center for literature and visual arts will be established there as an independent workplace of the Memorial of Czech Literature. The proposal by the Minister of Culture was approved by the government today. Michaela Lagronová, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, informed ČTK. The state will pay 18 million crowns for the property, purchasing it from the descendants of the poet and graphic artist Bohuslav Reynek, who lived in Petrkov. Over the next five years, the state is expected to invest nearly 150 million crowns into the reconstruction of the building, the establishment of the center, and its operation.

Reynek (1892 to 1971) lived in the Petrkov house with his wife, the French poet and translator Suzanne Renaud, and their sons, photographer Daniel and translator Jiří, also lived there. In 2014, both sons passed away shortly after each other, and the property passed to their descendants.

The chateau is historically protected, with a park and agricultural buildings adjoining the property. The sales offer includes forests, fields, and two ponds. In total, it encompasses an area of 92,198 square meters. According to the Ministry, taking over the complex will allow for the presentation of how the cultural landscape in the area itself influenced the life and work of Reynek and Renaud.

"There are not many significant places in the Czech Republic that have so profoundly influenced Czech culture and art of the 20th century as Petrkov. The work of Bohuslav Reynek and his wife is inseparably part of the cultural heritage not only of the Vysočina Region and the Czech Republic and is proof of excellent Czech-French cultural relations," said Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek. According to him, Petrkov should become a meeting place for artists, where workshops, conferences for visual artists, writers, translators, and other events would be held.

In terms of financing, the project is divided into three phases. The first phase, covering this year and next year, relates to the purchase of properties and their technical security. The second phase of the project (2021 to 2023) involves the restoration of the complex and the establishment of the Czech-French Center for Literature and Visual Arts as an independent workplace of the Memorial of Czech Literature. The third phase, starting in 2024, focuses on full operation and the development of cultural activities.

According to the plan, next year, 26.9 million crowns should be allocated to Petrkov, of which 19 million will come from the Ministry of Culture's budget and 7.9 million is requested by the minister beyond his budget. A total of 13.6 million crowns is planned for 2022. The restoration of the complex is expected to start in 2023, with expenditures of 58.6 million crowns, in 2024 with 37.5 million, and in 2025 with 12.5 million crowns.