From the Bečov fortress, a representative castle will again arise

Bečov nad Teplou - A new exhibition is being prepared at the Bečov castle and chateau in Karlovy Vary in the spaces where the reliquary of St. Maurus used to be. The reliquary is now housed in the reconstructed Pluhov Palace above the castle. The castle, which due to the exhibition of the reliquary has become a secured stronghold, is to once again serve as a display of a representative noble castle from the late 19th century. The preparations and search for original exhibits lasted about 15 years, said Tomáš Wizovský, the curator of the State Castle and Chateau (SHaZ) Bečov, to ČTK today.

The current visitor route comprised eight rooms and did not fully utilize the opportunities of the castle's spaces, which were often significantly altered for security reasons. Gradually, an additional five rooms on the first floor of the castle should be added to them. These are the so-called Piano nobile (noble floor), which was originally the representative part of the castle.

Visitors who saw the exhibition of St. Maurus in its earlier form will see completely new spaces upon the completion of the exhibition. The dark room, which housed a safe with a precious relic in the middle, will become the brightest room in the castle after the removal of five armored windows. The boarded-up doors leading to the surrounding terraces should also be removed.

The new spaces will be furnished with furniture that the Bečov castle has long sought to return. Bečov castle was unfortunate in that it was not classified as a monument suitable for accessibility after the war. Between 1945 and 1975, parts of the castle and its equipment served various socialist institutions, such as the Jáchymov mines, a primary school, the State Forests, and the Public Security.

Furthermore, after Bečov became the main residence of the Beaufort-Spontin family in 1813, the rarest works of art were brought here, including the 13th-century reliquary of St. Maurus. However, after the war, these items served to build thematic exhibitions in other castles, as well as in museums and galleries. They were also used to furnish offices of national committees, government offices, such as the seat of the government presidium, and diplomatic missions, or served as theater stock at Barrandov. A curious case in Bečov is the castle billiard table, which was removed from the collections and handed over to the Jáchymov mines workers for use outside of work.

But even the items that remained in the castle held some surprises. "For example, the dining room table. We discovered that it is extendable. While in its folded state, about five people can sit around it, when extended, up to 22 people can be seated. But for 50 years, apparently no one knew about it," Wizovský stated. The table in its extended state is even captured in period photographs of the dining room and should return there once again.

Through the careful and time-consuming work of the heritage conservators and the management of SHaZ Bečov, several hundred items taken from Bečov, which were in the possession of many cultural institutions, have been traced. The castle library has also been preserved, which contains over 17,000 volumes. Currently, there are about 300 inventory items in the castle's depositories, most of which should be included in the planned exhibition.

According to the curator, to restore the exhibition spaces, it will also be necessary to restore the openings and install doors from the interiors to the castle terraces, completely replace the fire and electronic security systems, refill missing floors in the previous safe room, or remove non-original grilles from the windows in higher floors.

The reinstatement of the lower castle is funded by the National Heritage Institute from the so-called Central Fund for the Reproduction of Property and has so far allocated nearly two million crowns for the restoration of selected items. This year, the completion of external restoration work and structural interventions is expected. In 2023, finishing works will take place within self-help efforts and the own conservation workshops.

The Bečov castle and chateau, which has become sought after not only for the exhibition of the rare reliquary of St. Maurus but also for its exemplary reconstruction practices of the compound, is among the most visited monuments in the Karlovy Vary region. Last year, over 50,000 visitors came to it, and in 2020, there were 73,800 people.