The Archdiocese will receive 202 million CZK for the restoration of monuments in Kroměříž

Kroměříž - The Olomouc Archdiocese will receive a European grant of 202.2 million crowns from the Integrated Operational Program for the reconstruction of the castle and the Podzámecká garden in Kroměříž. The extensive restoration of the monuments will begin this year and will last until 2022. Jiří Gračka, the spokesperson for the archdiocese, said this today to ČTK. The total costs amount to 246.3 million CZK. The state will contribute 23.8 million, while 20.3 million crowns will be released by the archdiocese, which acquired both monuments through church restitutions.

The funds will be used for the reconstruction of the roof and framework, expansion and equipping of depositories and restoration workshops, as well as the establishment and equipping of a digitization workplace. Plans are underway to modernize the facilities for tourist and cultural operations and to repair the paving in the courtyard.

On the first floor of the castle, the work will include the restoration of several rooms, including the famous Assembly Hall. The modifications will also affect the gallery, the so-called Old Library, and the Manorial Hall on the second floor. There will also be a new arrangement for the tour routes. "These are steps aimed at the long-term safeguarding of the heritage values of the area, but also at improving the working conditions for professionals and increasing the comfort for visitors," said Jan Slezák, the director of the National Heritage Institute's Kroměříž office.

The archdiocese intends to further expand and enhance the tour route in the castle tower. Exhibitions on the Treasuries of the Late Middle Ages and Royal Visits in Kroměříž will be created there. The Mill Gate between the castle and the building of the archdiocesan gymnasium is also set for transformation. Once the restoration work is completed, the previously inaccessible interiors of the Mill Gate will be opened to the public, allowing them to view the museum of the archbishop's guard.

There are also plans for the restoration of the water system in the Podzámecká garden. This should include dredging and reinforcing the banks of ponds and watercourses, repairing sluices, and building new piers. Modifications are expected for the facilities for breeding waterfowl and the Pompeian colonnade, including the fountain. During the repairs, visitors in the castle and Podzámecká garden should anticipate temporary restrictions.

According to custodian Martin Krčma, the modifications will increase the attractiveness of Kroměříž monuments for visitors. "The castle will newly offer original exhibitions that will be accessible year-round, joining the Flower Garden, which already offers an attractive winter program," he stated.

The castle and the Podzámecká and Flower gardens have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1998. From January to the end of October last year, they were visited by 181,173 people, which is 25,686 fewer than in the same period in 2016.