The heritage conservators want to regain funds for repairs to the castle in Litomyšl

Litomyšl - Heritage conservators want to attempt again to obtain funds for the repair of the castle in Litomyšl, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. They have failed twice to secure European grants and also did not succeed with the project for repairs to the nearby Panský House. They now have funds allocated in the national program Care for National Cultural Heritage I. of the Ministry of Culture.

"The new project will probably include all the facades of the castle, which was not the case previously,” said Ota Minařík, an investment officer at the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), who is responsible for the repair of the castle. According to him, the repairs could begin in 2021.

The last project for the restoration of the castle included costly repairs to the castle building, including parts of the sgraffito and the acquisition of a new theater structure that is more respectful of the castle's heritage values. The Panský House was to house a repository for artworks. Heritage conservators claimed that both projects, with requested grants totaling more than 250 million crowns, were well-prepared but particularly suffered because the buildings are not in a state of emergency.

According to Petra Hrušová from the Ministry of Culture, the Care for National Cultural Heritage I. program for the period 2019 to 2024 allocates a total of 380 million crowns for the complete restoration of the castle. The heritage conservators have already sent an investment proposal to the Ministry of Culture, requesting five million crowns to complete the project for the restoration of the castle building, the Panský House, and the lunette cornice. Previous estimates suggest the cost of repairs is around 380 million crowns. "It is already certain, also due to the developments in the building market and the prices of work and materials, that this grant will not be sufficient,” said Lucie Bidlasová, spokesperson for the NPÚ in Sychrov, under which the Litomyšl castle falls. Therefore, the heritage conservators will seek additional options for funding and will request an increase in the original amount.

The castle in Litomyšl is a valuable example of the adaptation of an Italian Renaissance palace for the conditions of Alpine countries. It was built in the 1560s to 1580s by Vratislav of Pernštejn as a gift for his wife Maria Manrique de Lara. The Renaissance residence was supplemented in the 17th and 18th centuries by Baroque modifications made by subsequent owners, the Trauttmansdorffs and Waldstein-Wartenbergs, involving leading Baroque artists. A unique feature is the preserved family theater from 1797. The castle was listed on the UNESCO heritage list in 1999. Last year, it was visited by nearly 53,000 people.