In Přívoz, the repair of the church by Camillo Sitte has begun

Ostrava - The renovation of the Roman Catholic church in the square of Svatopluk Čech started this week in the Ostrava district of Přívoz. The building from the end of the 19th century, designed by the famous architect Camillo Sitte, is expected to have a new facade by the end of 2010. The reconstruction of the cultural monument will cost approximately 16.7 million crowns. The parish has received a grant from the European Union for it. Miroslav Přikryl from the Ostrava-Opava diocese told ČTK.
    The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, which belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of Ostrava-Přívoz, will receive a new facade including doors and stained-glass windows. "Among the most serious issues are the damage to the stone decorative elements, some of which have already fallen off. With broken stained-glass windows, it has been drafty and snowy inside," described the state of the church Přikryl, who is the project manager.
    The parish has secured a ninety percent grant for the renovation of the monument - around 12.7 million crowns from European funds and over 2.2 million CZK from the Ministry for Regional Development. The parish must raise nearly 1.7 million crowns on its own through donations, collections, or other grants.
    Along with the Ostrava church, the Roman Catholic church in the Polish village of Mochów, which is also administered by the Pauline order, will be renovated. The Přívoz parish has received European grants as part of cross-border cooperation with Poland in the area of tourism.
    "The whole project aims to revive contacts between the Czech Republic and Poland in the specific area of pilgrimage celebrations. Both churches are dedicated to the Virgin Mary and in the future, pilgrimages may be joint," explained Přikryl. In addition to the facade repairs, both parishes will use the grants to create Czech-Polish promotional materials and set up an information panel for tourists.
    According to him, the residents of Přívoz will especially appreciate that the church will shine in full glory after the reconstruction. The architectural landmark was designed by Sitte between 1896 and 1899 when he created a unique urban solution for the whole of Přívoz. The Přívoz Town Hall was also built according to the design of one of the most prominent Central European urban planners.
    The central Svatopluk Čech square restored its original 19th-century appearance in 2004 when it was reconstructed for 33 million crowns by the municipal district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz. It was the first investment (with a grant of nine million crowns) in which the town hall succeeded in accessing European funds.