In Česká Lípa, the renovation of the plague column has begun, while the nearby fountain is still waiting

Česká Lípa – In Česká Lípa, the renovation of the plague column in the main square has begun; the baroque sandstone column of the Holy Trinity from the late 17th century is already largely covered by scaffolding. The restoration work will cost the city 700,000 crowns, but the city is applying for a grant from the Ministry of Culture’s program for the regeneration of urban heritage zones and urban heritage reserves for the project, said the city's spokesperson Kristýna Kňákal Brožová to ČTK today. According to her, the neighboring fountain should also be renovated next year.

"The baroque sandstone column of the Holy Trinity commemorates the end of the plague epidemic in 1681. Academic sculptor Jan Vích will clean the column of all dirt, repair the cracks, replace missing parts, and primarily re-sculpt the missing angel's head. The column will also be treated to prevent further degradation," the city spokeswoman described the scope of the work.

According to her, the last major restoration of the monument took place in 2012, and a year later, the city hall built a replica of the historical fencing around the column, which was probably removed in 1965.

"Every year, the city invests hundreds of thousands of crowns into the repair of memorials and small sacred monuments. This year, in addition to the plague column, we plan to repair chapels in Častolovice, Heřmaničky, Manušice, and Okřešice. We remember these objects because they are an integral part of the public space that enhances it, and at the same time, they are part of the history of our city," stated Mayor Jitka Volfová (ANO).

The plague column is complemented by the octagonal sandstone fountain from 1831 in the main Česká Lípa square, but for the second year, water has not flowed from it. The Empire monument needs significant renovation, and the lead basin of the reservoir has also aged. "Last year, the fountain was without water for the entire season. One of the dolphins, from which water spouts, stopped allowing water to flow, and it accumulated under the fountain, damaging it," said Kňákal Brožová. The city hall has prepared a restoration plan for the fountain and also wants to apply for a grant from the Ministry of Culture for its renovation.