In Česká Lípa, the restoration of the facade of the so-called Red House has been completed

Česká Lípa - The restoration of the facades of the so-called Red House in Česká Lípa has been completed after three years, which is one of the most significant cultural monuments in the city. It is the only preserved Renaissance building with a sgraffito facade in the Liberec Region. The local museum has a detached workplace there. According to museum director Zdeněk Vitáček, the rescue of the extensive building will continue in the coming years.

"Now we will focus on parts that are at risk, but there is no danger of a piece falling off like with the facades," Vitáček told ČTK today.

The facade restoration was carried out in two phases from 2016 to 2018. Most of the costs were covered by the Liberec Region as the founder of the museum. "In total, it is about 2.2 million crowns; we received a grant of 600,000 from the Ministry of Culture," said statutory deputy governor Jitka Volfová (ANO) to journalists today.

Thanks to the repairs and restoration work, all hunting scenes on the facade have been restored. Some parts had already fallen off. For example, a meter-long piece, on which a shepherd with a dog was chasing a wolf carrying off a sheep, was missing. "That scene is quite relevant today, as wolves have returned to Česká Lípa. It is evident that they must have been here in the past and were already stealing sheep back then," Vitáček stated.

The Red House is a former Renaissance summerhouse in the castle garden. It was built in 1583 by Jetřich Jiří Berka of Dubá and Lipá. The building has an irregular floor plan and is two stories high, featuring an open loggia and adorned with sgraffiti. The gable on the west side is also covered with sgraffito inscriptions. Hunting scenes were depicted using this technique on the railing of the loggia. It seems that the heads of ancient heroes were similarly represented in the panels above the loggia. All of these parts have been successfully restored in the last three years. From the outside, it is not clear why the house has the nickname "red." It has been called that since the 19th century, apparently due to the red painting of the loggia. Remnants of red painting are now only visible on the columns on the first floor.

The director of the museum estimates the costs for the next phase of repairs at 1.5 million crowns. The plan includes partial repairs of the roof, columns, some stone elements, and restoration of the plaster in the arcade on the ground floor and in the first-floor arcade. The project is in preparation, and ideally, work will begin next autumn. The museum houses conservation workshops and a depository in the building, which is not usually accessible to the public. This may change in the future if funds can be secured for internal modifications. "An upper area could be made into a hunting museum; we have a large collection of weapons," added Vitáček.