Litomyšl will take over the repaired castle hill on Sunday

Litomyšl (Svitavsko) - Tomorrow, Litomyšl will ceremoniously take over the keys to the renovated buildings and grounds of the castle hill. Ten out of 11 buildings and spaces have already been restored, and the repair of the extension of the Piarist college, which was delayed due to archaeological finds, remains to be completed. The spaces serve many organizations focused on culture and education, said Michaela Severová, a spokeswoman for the city hall. A 100% grant will cover the repairs and restoration work of the first courtyard, brewery, riding hall, upper courtyard, coach house, stables, park, Piarist college, Piarist church, and forecourt.
    The facilities on the castle hill are used by, for example, the public benefit company Center for Restoration, the Faculty of Restoration of Pardubice University, the organization Smetanova Litomyšl, and the National Heritage Institute. As part of the project, a School at the Castle has also been established, which connects experiential pedagogy and the genius loci of the location. It prepares two-hour programs focused on music, visual arts, architecture, history, or environmental education for primary and secondary school students. In the Piarist church of the Finding of the Holy Cross, there is an exhibition from the diocesan museum titled Angels on the Hill, a labyrinth for children is set up in the riding hall, and the stables serve as a space for larger cultural and social events. The regional museum has warehouses and workshops in the new attic space of the brewery, and an European training center established by the city of Litomyšl and the YMCA also operates in the brewery.
    "Events in the buildings are also organized by other city companies, the Smetana House or the City Library," Severová noted.
    For the project of revitalizing the castle hill, including its promotion and operation, the city hall received a European grant of 400 million crowns from the Integrated Operational Program. Other non-eligible costs, such as the outfitting of the coach house or the apartment above Bedřich Smetana’s birthplace, and additional works must be covered by the city itself.