In the Kladruby Monastery, reconstruction started today for 146 million crowns

Kladruby - The construction phase of the project for the restoration of the Kladruby Monastery near Stříbro was inaugurated today with the laying of the foundation stone. The aim of the project "Life in the Order" is to restore part of the exteriors and interiors of the new and old convent, which will provide two new guided tours and make previously closed parts of the complex accessible. The restoration of the baroque complex, which will cost over 146 million crowns, will be funded largely by European grants as well as state resources, said Petr Pavelec, director of the South Bohemian National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), today to ČTK.

"The monastery will reflect life in the order, how the monks lived here, partially through spiritual life, but they also engaged in various practical activities. For example, there will be a space dedicated to what is called the fraterie, where the monks focused on bookbinding, processing herbs, and what they grew in their gardens, as well as artistic activities," Pavelec said.

The first tour will include the space of the cloister courtyard of the old convent along with the monastery garden. The second route will present a museum exhibition focused on the influence of the princely family of Windischgrätz in Kladruby.

The reconstruction will last for two years and is expected to be completed in the winter of 2022. The new part of the complex should thus be accessible to the public from the spring of 2023. The successful completion of the project was blessed today by the General Vicar of the Diocese of Plzeň, Jakub Holík.

More than 175 artistic objects from the monastery's depository will be restored and over 300 meters of cloister corridors will be renewed. A new space for exhibitions and conferences as well as relaxation zones for visitors will also be created in the complex. New electrical installations, water supply, and sewage systems will be built in the buildings. As part of the project, 84 species of plants and 540 roses will be planted in the cloister courtyard.

The former Benedictine monastery was founded 900 years ago. Its dominant feature is the church redesigned by architect Jan Blažej Santini, and another important building is the new convent by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. Approximately 17,000 people visit the monastery each year.