The army will help with the rescue of the Zelenohorský church

Žďár nad Sázavou - The army will help in the rescue of the UNESCO heritage site - the Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora in Žďár nad Sázavou. Its roof was severely damaged by a storm last week. Weather permitting, an army helicopter will transport materials to the top of the church on Tuesday so that craftsmen can repair the rafters. This will reduce the risk of the roof tearing off, which is temporarily covered with a tarpaulin, and in the event of further rain, also the destruction of newly repaired interiors, said Libor Karásek, the director of the National Heritage Institute's office in the Vysočina region, to ČTK today.
With the participation of the Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička and Minister of Defense Vlasta Parkanová, the helicopter is expected to make five flights to deliver the materials located on the church premises, he specified. According to him, the heritage institute is simultaneously negotiating changes in the use of funds it received this year for the continuation of interior restoration. A total of 1.5 million crowns was allocated for restoration, and work was supposed to begin after the holidays. However, the restoration of the roof will now take precedence over the restoration of the walls, the main altar, or the sculptures. "We will complete the beams to their final shape and carry out the bracing of the rafters, thus preventing wind ingress," the director outlined the commencement of work.
The Vysočina region provided the National Heritage Institute with a grant of 200,000 crowns for rescue work immediately after the disaster. The storm tore away part of the metal roofing and rafters from the five-pointed roof. The fallen roofing and bracing damaged the church's ambulatory and around 40 adjacent graves. The wind also broke several trees around the church. According to Karásek, the damage has not yet been quantified, and roofing and carpentry companies are currently preparing a budget for the repairs.
The restoration of the church's interior began in 2002 after the state invested around 60 million crowns to save the surrounding ambulatories. It is estimated to be about halfway done. After more than 200 years, experts restored Santini's stucco decoration of the vault this March.
The Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora is one of the masterpieces of architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl. The cornerstone was laid in 1720, and the church was consecrated two years later. Its floor plan is in the shape of a five-pointed star, which appears in various forms in the exterior and interior of the pilgrimage site, embodying ingenious St. John symbolism. At the time, it represented a timeless work with refined lighting direction.