The monastery in Chotěšov offered glimpses into the past

Chotěšov (Plzeň Region) - The dilapidated monastery in Chotěšov in the Plzeň region today took visitors back in time. The association Chotěšovská vlna prepared a medieval market, knightly duels, and demonstrations of life in past centuries for them. The aim of the charity event is to raise money for the renovation of the monastery.
    The association consists of 30 students from the Plzeň region who have been volunteering for six years to help with the extensive monument's repairs. The monastery, whose complete restoration would require 1.5 billion crowns, was included in 2003 among the hundred most endangered monuments in the world. For about two years, there have been regular weekend tours, attracting hundreds of people.
    "Last year we raised over 44,000 crowns, which we used to buy a brush cutter and tools for restoring the garden and park," said Stanislav Tomanec from Chotěšovská vlna to ČTK. This year's event was more magnificent. The proceeds from the entrance fee will go towards maintaining the monastery garden. This time, twice as many people came as last year.
    "In the past 15 years, only 30 million crowns have been allocated for the repairs of beams, roofs, and the fresco above the main stairs of the convent," noted Plzeň architect Jan Soukup, chairman of the civic association Klášter Chotěšov, which has been seeking funds and preparing expert documentation for the municipality for 15 years.
    According to Mayor Čeňek Smetana, at least 100 million crowns would be needed to address the emergency state. The municipality, which took over the monument from the church in 2003, is seeking a strong investor. "Thanks to the list of the World Monuments Fund, where we are listed among monuments like the Great Wall of China, we expected significantly greater interest," he said.
    According to Tomanec, it is necessary to utilize at least one floor of the convent as soon as possible, so the area can begin to thrive. The municipality wants 90 million crowns from the so-called Norwegian funds for the reconstruction of the prelature. The municipal office, library, and information center will be relocated there.
    "First and foremost, it is essential to find a use for the vast complex and repair it in parts," stated Tomáš Hájek, the general director of the National Heritage Institute. According to him, the convent could obtain funds from the integrated operational program.
    Chotěšov receives funds from the Ministry of Culture, which is only enough to repair a small part of the roof. "This year we will receive only 1.1 million, last year it was 2.3 million crowns," Smetana noted. The roof, for which the municipality would need 30 million crowns to restore, including the beams, has been repaired by one-third.
    The municipality, with a budget of twenty million crowns, can afford to allocate 300,000 crowns annually to the monument. Next week, the construction of a sewage system costing 127 million crowns will begin. The monastery intends to keep. "It would be best suited for a therapeutic and rehabilitation center, or a conference center," stated the mayor. The town hall has a study for using the garden as a recreational center for children and youth.
    The Chotěšov women's monastery dates back to 1202 and was dissolved in the 18th century. After 1948, it was used by the army. Since the 1970s, it has been abandoned and deteriorating.

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