In Litomyšl, the reconstruction of the historic house U Rytířů has begun after years of preparation

Litomyšl - In Litomyšl, after years of preparation, the reconstruction of the historic house U Rytířů on Smetanova náměstí has begun. The Renaissance building, which houses the municipal gallery, will continue to serve for exhibition purposes upon completion of the work. A new feature is the connection of the building to the previously unused rear wing and the accessibility of the attic space, the town hall stated in the municipal newsletter Lilie.

The house U Rytířů is among the significant monuments of Renaissance architecture in Bohemia. It is particularly known for its richly decorated facade. In addition to fantastic animals and bearded heads, the façade features figures of two knights, after whom Alois Jirásek named the house in his short story U Rytířů. Until the 1970s, the house was used for residential purposes. It was then extensively reconstructed to establish a permanent exhibition of the painter Josef Matička, who donated a substantial part of his own paintings to the town, as well as a large collection of Czech art from the mid-20th century. During the renovations, a valuable early Renaissance coffered ceiling, seats between the windows, and inter-window pillars with richly decorated capitals were discovered in the room oriented towards the square on the first floor. In 1985, the then Museum and Gallery in Litomyšl began to use the spaces, and since 2004, its successor organization, the City Gallery of Litomyšl, has continued this use.

At the beginning of January this year, the gallery ceased its exhibition activities and began clearing out the spaces. During the reconstruction, the exhibition areas will expand into the previously unused rear wing of the building, and the site will gain barrier-free access. A ticket office and a café with outdoor seating in the courtyard will be created on the ground floor. The house will receive a new roof, under which there will be a new permanent exhibition dedicated to the gift of Josef Matička. The building will also regain its original layout, which had been inappropriately connected to the neighboring building housing the bookstore in the past. The room on the ground floor, which had served the bookstore, will be connected to the city gallery. Conversely, the gallery will lose the rooms on the first floor, which will be reconnected to the neighboring structure.

Construction work on the reconstruction of the house U Rytířů is expected to last until 2027. The costs amount to 48 million Czech crowns, including the fitting of the interior; the city has secured a grant of 38 million from the Integrated Operational Program for the project.

The house U Rytířů stands in the middle of the square, almost opposite the town hall tower. It is one of the oldest and most valuable houses in the town due to its preserved original facade decoration and parts of the interior. Its stylistic conception refers to the artistic circle of the Pernštejn Court in Pardubice. The house began to transform into its current Renaissance form probably by the stonemason master Blažek for himself, following a great fire that swept through almost the entire town in 1540. It was likely completed by 1546. It has lost part of its Renaissance character due to minor and more significant modifications. The first more notable transformation that changed its outward appearance took place in 1814 when the original, probably high Renaissance gable was replaced by an Empire-style attic.