High Mýto continues the repair of the Litomyšl Gate

High Mýto - The town of High Mýto in the Orlickoústecko region continues this year with the repairs of the Litomyšl Gate. The monument from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries will have its roof repaired in July, said the city spokesperson Marie Lněničková to ČTK.

The gates and towers are evidence of the medieval fortifications of High Mýto. The town hall has already repaired the Choceň Tower and the small tower as well as the connecting bridge of the Prague Gate in previous years.

"The Litomyšl Gate is one of the characteristic landmarks of High Mýto. Although it is not as tall as the Prague Gate, it is often considered to be more beautiful. Since the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, it has formed an important part of the town's fortifications and protected access to the town," said the spokesperson.

Repairs began last year on the roof. The town commissioned repairs with high-quality Spanish slate, which has better properties than ordinary slate. A professional company also changed some beams in the roof structure.

This year, the town hall continues with the replacement of slate on the small tower. The slate is already crumbling and water is leaking into the tower. "During the entire repair, the passage under the small tower will be closed, as scaffolding and construction equipment will be placed next to it. Pedestrians and cyclists can bypass it through the passage under the large tower or through the transit section of the Litomyšl Gate," said Lněničková.

This year’s repair of the Litomyšl Gate will cost the town 958,000 crowns, of which approximately 40 percent will be covered by the city from a contribution from the Regeneration Program for urban heritage reserves and urban monument zones.

The tower has experienced several fires, the last one in 1829 was devastating. The restoration of the monument was ensured by native, literary historian, and politician Alois Vojtěch Šembera. Between 1864 and 1867, the Litomyšl Gate acquired a neo-Gothic appearance. The sgraffito decoration is based on a design by Mikoláš Alš.