The glass work in the church of Litomyšl will be without the laser cross

Litomyšl (Svitavsko) - The glass installation by Václav Cígler in the Piarist church in Litomyšl will be without a laser cross. The costs would be too high, said the city spokeswoman Michaela Severová today to ČTK. This week craftsmen began assembling the artwork in the newly renovated church.
    "The church would have to be fogged up for the laser cross to be visible, which is problematic from the perspective of the heritage site. It would also incur additional costs; the financial aspect decided," said Severová.
    The laser cross was supposed to float in the space above the altar. It would have been complicated to operate also due to the organ case in the choir, as one of the laser sensors would be covered.
    The modern installation will be located at the intersection of the church's aisles. It consists of a glass column suspended from the ceiling, a circular mirror below it, and an altar table. A private patron donated two million crowns for the project, the city contributed 250,000 for the altar table, and the glassworks donated the glass.
    "We are glad that we managed to secure funding from the patron; without him, we would have nothing," said the spokeswoman.
    The city repaired the Baroque church of the Finding of the Holy Cross, which had been in a state of emergency since the late 1950s, with the help of European subsidies amounting to 70 million crowns. In the early 1990s, the monument only received partial repairs. The church belongs to the state, and the city has it on loan. Recently, the Piarist order requested the return of the property, whose representatives previously announced that if they take over the church, it will continue to serve spiritual, cultural, and social purposes.