The Loucký Monastery will have 43 new, handcrafted windows

photo: www.turistika.cz

Znojmo - The Znojmo City Hall is preparing to replace another 43 windows in the Loucký Monastery this year, with an investment reaching 4.8 million CZK. Once again, it will be about handmade windows that will replicate the appearance of the originals. This was stated in a press release by the City Hall spokesperson Zuzana Pastrňáková. Over the past two years, the monastery has received a total of 71 new windows.

The monastery has been a national cultural monument since last year. Last year, the city invested 2.5 million CZK in the replacement of 36 windows, with 700,000 CZK of this amount covered by a grant from the Ministry of Culture. The year before, with the same level of investment, the city received a support of one million CZK.

"We have again applied for a grant from the Ministry of Culture, just like in previous phases. It is therefore possible and perhaps even likely that the costs for the city will be reduced," said the city mayor Jan Grois (ČSSD).

So far, the windows have been replaced on the southern facade of the southern wing of the monastery; this year, the central part of the eastern facade will be addressed. Work is expected to begin in the spring and last until November. Again, these will be handmade windows replicating the appearance of the original historical ones. All windows are designed to be casement, opening inward, with single glazing. They are made of solid larch with a matte ivory-colored finish and are complemented by solid larch sills.

The city acquired the Baroque monastery complex through a gratuitous transfer from the state in 2010, although in poor condition. Most of the repairs carried out so far have addressed emergency states. The former riding school has undergone a complete reconstruction.

The monastery was founded in 1190 by the Znojmo prince Konrád Ota and soon became one of the most important centers of spiritual and economic life in southwestern Moravia. Around the mid-18th century, it underwent extensive Baroque reconstruction, involving several outstanding artists of the time. The monastery was abolished during the Josephine reforms in 1784, and the buildings were then used for other purposes.