In Přeštice, they are completing the restoration of the cathedral, the largest Baroque church outside of Prague

photo: markyz63, turistika.cz

Přeštice - The repair of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Přeštice near Plzeň is nearing completion, the largest Czech Baroque church outside Prague. The reconstruction of the landmark in southern Plzeň will cost 84 million crowns, of which 76 million will be provided by the European IROP program. The restoration of the national cultural monument, declared 15 years ago, must be completed by the end of the year, Iva Fictumová, head of projects for the Plzeň bishopric, said today at a construction control day.

Static issues have arisen in the church built from 1750 to 1775 according to the design and partly under the guidance of Baroque builder Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. The facade was last repaired nearly 30 years ago. The dusty construction work is now complete. "The entire interior has been restored and cleaned, and now it is being furnished," Fictumová stated. She added that the towers have been repaired, the electrical installation is completed, and the painting and drainage are finished. The facade on the western side is being completed and the furnishings are being restored.

Craftsmen are finishing the cleaning and restoration of the marble parts of seven altars, which are unique in size. "The main one is 20 meters high, that is, the height of a four-story building," Fictumová said. The nearest similar, albeit smaller, altar is according to her in the old town church of St. Nicholas in Prague. "The church's vault is higher than the Plzeň cathedral, and its width is also impressive. The church is very monumental," Fictumová said. The balustrade made of sandstone on the western side, which replaced the original concrete one, is finished. The ornaments were carved directly in the quarry, weighing a total of 36 tons.

The repair budget has been tight from the beginning. "In the last two years, prices have skyrocketed, and we have a budget from 2016. It’s a big problem," the project manager said.

The mayor of Přeštice, Tomáš Chmelík (STAN), said the town would like to open the church more after the major reconstruction and will negotiate with the parish about possible organization of various events. The town has allocated two million crowns for the repair and has now provided an additional 700,000 crowns for the northern staircase, which it owns. "It was uncovered at the end of last year and it was found to be in unsatisfactory condition," Chmelík explained.

An exhibition with descriptions of the repairs will also be created in the church. The bishopric intends to publish a book about the church. "There are very interesting stories here. For example, in all four confessionals, there are - as I call them - figurines of biblical wrongdoers - those who messed up something and were forgiven. It’s about mercy, hope that a person does not have to fall into depression when something goes wrong and wants to make amends," Fictumová concluded.