In the baroque pharmacy in Kuks, the restoration of the historical floor has begun

Kuks - The reconstruction of the floor has begun in the historic pharmacy located within the baroque hospital complex in Kuks, in the Trutnov region. Libor Švec, the custodian of the monument, told ČTK. It should be completed by the end of this year. "The work has already begun. The house is still climatically suitable for such work after the season; it would be worse in early spring. Normally, it is not heated," Švec told ČTK.

The hospital, including the pharmacy, is generally accessible only by prior arrangement from December to February, and only for larger groups. During the renovations, the baroque pharmacy will not be open to the public at all. "The baroque pharmacy will be accessible to the public again with the opening of the 2019 season. Next year, the official season starts on Saturday, April 6. However, it is possible that we will open for weekends in March, depending on the weather," Švec told ČTK.

The oak parquet floor dating back to the early 20th century is being repaired. Craftsmen are sanding, cleaning, and finally oiling it. The exact date for laying the parquet floor is not known. "According to historical photographic documentation, there was already a parquet floor during the time of the Mercy Brothers, who were here until the beginning of World War II. We assume it could have been created in the early 20th century. However, there is an even older wooden floor beneath it, but we will not intervene in that," Švec stated.

According to him, the floor is damaged due to later use of the pharmacy. For example, a carpet was glued to the floor, and its remnants need to be removed. "The floor will be renovated both in the pharmacy itself and in the room in front of it. Sanding and oiling will cost 192,000 crowns. We would also like to add some furnishings to the baroque pharmacy that we have in our storages," Švec said.

The baroque hospital in Kuks, which was renovated four years ago at a cost of 440 million crowns, is the most visited state monument in the region. According to the custodian, the exhibitions of the hospital were visited by 96,200 people in the past season. "It wasn't an exceptional season; the very hot summer affected this. We had a significant drop in the month of August, with about ten thousand fewer visitors compared to previous summer seasons. People preferred swimming," Švec told ČTK.

Last year, the attendance of the exhibitions was 111,000, the year before 114,000, and in 2015, a record nearly 140,000 people visited the hospital. "In the first season after the reconstruction, there was a surge of interest in Kuks. Gradually, attendance stabilizes around 100,000 visitors," he added.

The hospital was built at the beginning of the 18th century by František Antonín Špork for the care of the aged and incapacitated men from the surrounding area. The baroque complex is famous for its sculptural decoration by Matyáš B. Braun's workshop.