The Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc is being created in a unique location

Olomouc - Construction work is nearing completion these days at the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc. This unique institution in Central and Eastern Europe will be officially opened on June 1st. According to experts, the exhibited artifacts as well as the museum's location will be unique. It is being created in a part of the national cultural monument Přemysl Castle. According to archaeologists, there is evidence of settlement on the hill for 6,000 years.
"After centuries, Olomouc and, by extension, all of Moravia are getting their castle back. The Archdiocesan Museum will open in one of the most impressive and historically significant areas in Central Europe. The old Přemysl Castle stood here, and right next to it was the residence of the Moravian bishops," said Pavel Zatloukal, director of the Museum of Art in Olomouc, which includes the Archdiocesan Museum, to ČTK today.
Visitors will find exhibits in the former capitular deanery. "The museum will highlight Olomouc's historical significance. It shows that it could again become one of the centers of at least Central European visual culture, even in terms of old art," the director added. According to him, the idea of renovating Olomouc Castle emerged as early as the late 19th century. It was raised again in the 1930s and also in the 1980s. "However, the primary impulse came from the visit of Pope John Paul II to Olomouc. An architectural competition was held in 1998, and construction began in 2000," Zatloukal stated.
"Our architectural concept was based on respect for the old building. We respected all preserved stages of development, from the Romanesque period to the 19th century. Into this restored structure, we built new elements in the form of cells that provide service for the museum. We used strictly new materials for these, to create a contrast between the reconstructed and the new. Therefore, we used steel, concrete, and glass," architect Jan Šépka told ČTK today. According to him, the entire facility is barrier-free.
During the tour, visitors can also go underground, where the foundations of the Romanesque palace, the chapel of St. Barbara, or the terraces and balcony can be found, where, according to legend, the Czech King Václav III. died 700 years ago. In about twenty halls, people will find around 300 exhibits. In addition to one of the highest quality Central European collections of old painting, the Archdiocesan Museum will allow its visitors to see examples of Gothic and Baroque sculpture, collections of ivory works, the famous carriage of Bishop Troyer, liturgical items, or Mass textiles. A long-term exhibition will showcase a selection of works by many painters, sculptors, illuminators, and artisans from across Europe.
The reconstruction of the building cost approximately 270 million crowns. The Olomouc Region recently agreed with the Ministry of Culture to transfer the Museum of Art back to the state just on the day of the opening of this unique institution. The Museum of Art will need about 70 million crowns annually for its operation.