The Renaissance palace of Helfštýn is set to undergo renovation and roofing

Týn nad Bečvou (Přerovsko) - The Renaissance palace of Helfštýn Castle in Přerov is set to undergo extensive reconstruction, including roofing, after years of planning. The palace in the fourth courtyard of the castle is one of the largest Renaissance buildings in the Czech Republic, but has been closed to the public for three years due to poor condition. The path to its reconstruction has now been opened by extensive documentation from experts, which serves as the basis for the building permit. The costs are estimated by the Olomouc Region at 63 million crowns. The regional coalition had this reconstruction in its program statement.

According to Governor Jiří Rozbořil (ČSSD), the region could receive 47 million from European subsidies for the total costs, with the rest paid from the regional budget. "This year, preliminary work is planned, and next year, extending into 2018, the actual roofing should begin," Rozbořil told journalists at Helfštýn today.

Documentation was necessary for the building permit, and the team of experts has been working on it since 2013. It includes architectural historical surveys and analysis of building materials. According to the castle administrator Jan Lauro, the result is a 3D visualization of the monument compiled from 6,500 images. Experts used drones for the documentation of inaccessible spots. The resulting concept is also accessible to conservationists, whose requirement was that the roofing does not change the silhouette of the castle. "The condition set by the heritage institute was that the roofing should not be extensive, and that the roofs should not exceed the original volume of the building. Therefore, the design includes inserted areas of glass roofs. Some spaces remain open, while others are roofed," said architect Miroslav Pospíšil.

The reconstruction of the palace is expected to make the tour route of the medieval castle more attractive. After the repairs, people should be able to walk along metal walkways at the ceiling level of the first floor. "The palace is the place where the history of Helfštýn began and ended. It is the largest building in the castle complex and also the last one that has not yet been reconstructed. The aim of the entire project is not only the roofing of this building but also the overall remediation and restoration of the object itself," Lauro told ČTK today. According to him, the renovated spaces will be used by the castle, for example, for exhibiting artistic blacksmithing, and there are also considerations for restoring the castle chapel or lapidarium.

The castle, which is among the most visited monuments in the region, has been undergoing repairs for several years. In addition to the fortifications, builders recently repaired the bridges, and last autumn renovated the entrance bridge spanning the castle moat. They had to dismantle it and build a new one in its place, an investment that cost one million crowns.