Holešov would like to build a city museum in its castle

Holešov - Holešov wants to establish a city museum in its chateau. It is to be created on the currently preserved third floor of the monument. This year, the town hall will prepare the plan and it is necessary to prepare the project documentation for the floor's renovation. Mayor Rudolf Seifert told ČTK.

"The town has huge depositories spread across basements and rooms; we have quality exhibits that could be displayed. We want to create a concept for some kind of exhibition that we want to fulfill. It should be an exhibition that would attract not only people from the region but also visitors from elsewhere," Seifert stated. According to him, the floors, walls, and sometimes even ceilings in the rooms need to be repaired, along with other things.

"It will be an expensive endeavor that should take several years. I would like to start next year. We could perhaps prepare rooms for an exhibition on the history of the town. Two corner rooms are in fairly good condition, so the costs don't have to be that high," Seifert noted. He estimates that the total costs for renovating the third floor will be in the tens of millions of crowns.

According to historian and heritage conservationist Karel Bartošek from the town hall, the city can utilize, for example, large collections of weapons and archaeological finds, numismatic collections, historical objects and paintings, as well as ethnographic collections, a small part of which is already displayed in a small blacksmithing museum. Bartošek expects that one exhibition will focus on the history of the town and the other will be based on the collection of weapons, including military, hunting, gendarmerie, and police weapons.

The Renaissance chateau was built in 1574 on the site of a former Gothic fortress from the 15th century, part of which has survived to this day. It was later rebuilt in the Baroque style and in the spirit of late Classicism. Holešov acquired the chateau from a private owner in 2005 for 13.4 million crowns. Of the approximately 380 million CZK invested in renovations so far, over 100 million crowns have come from grants.

The city has renovated and opened the basement, ground floor, and first floor of the chateau. The courtyard has also been renovated, and partially the garden. This year, the city will complete the renovation of the roofs and facades for about ten million crowns, and will also restore the floor in the large hall. Next year, the entrance bridge to the chateau is to be reconstructed. The chateau hosts exhibitions and concerts, with a music club in the basement, and the courtyard and garden are also used.

The chateau is the city's main asset for the national round of the Competition for Historical Town of the Year 2016, with results to be announced on April 18. Holešov is in the national final for the third time. Besides the chateau, the town also has valuable Jewish monuments, a cemetery with original tombstones, and a synagogue. In Holešov, there is also a church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, boasting rich Baroque decorations. Other notable monuments include the Church of St. Anne, as well as a former blacksmith's shop.

This year, the city is also planning the restoration of the former meat shops, arched stone buildings from the mid-18th century where butchers sold their goods. Of the original 16 shops, half have been preserved. Four are in poor condition and will be demolished, while the city wants to restore four. They are intended to serve during markets and cultural events. Next year, the city will connect the area with the shops, the Saint Anne Square, with the Edvard Beneš Square.