The Wallachian Chapel in the Clementinum has a new facade, and the frescoes will also be restored

Prague - Restaurateurs have completed the first stage of repairs to the Vlašská Chapel in the center of Prague, which is part of the Klementinum and belongs to the Italian state. In the first phase, the roof and facade of this significant Baroque monument were repaired, and the portal and Baroque grilles were restored. We are looking forward to the restoration of the interior and the frescoes, which will be handled by Italian restorers, Italian ambassador Aldo Amati told reporters today.

According to him, today workers from the National Heritage Institute were in the chapel with restorers looking for the best techniques for repairing the interior paintings. Work, according to Amati, will begin in mid-November and will last eight to ten months. The first stage lasted from July of this year. The main altar image and other elements from the interior are currently housed in the building of the Italian embassy on Nerudova Street.

The chapel on Karlova Street was closed for two decades, and numerous attempts to repair it were made; however, they were always complicated by the unusual situation of the building, which is located in the center of Prague, the Czech state has declared it a monument, but it is owned by Italy. The current reconstruction has been supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Czech Ministry of Culture, the City of Prague, the Prague 1 municipal district, the Greek Catholic Church, and private sponsors. The exact cost of the reconstruction is not yet known, it will be specified once restorers are more familiar with the detailed methods they will use. However, it will be around 900,000 euros (24.3 million crowns), embassy representatives stated.

Today, journalists also saw the contents of tubes stored under the lantern and in the belfry of the chapel. Most of the documents date back to the 19th century and concern the history of the Vlašská congregation or the reconstruction of the chapel; the containers also included descriptions of work by Czech masons, photographs, and coins.

The Vlašská Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located on Karlova Street on the Royal Route and is part of the Klementinum complex. It is claimed that it was built in the Mannerist style between 1590 and 1597 by Domenico Bossi according to a design by Ottaviano Mascarino. It was created for the needs of Italians settled in Prague, hence its name. The elliptical floor plan of the chapel documents the intellectual transformation of the era, namely the retreat from rational Renaissance thinking, which was reflected in the circular floor plans of buildings, to the more sensual viewpoint of Baroque, symbolized by the more dynamic and differently perceived ellipse from every angle.

Due to this symbolism, the Vlašská Chapel is one of the significant Renaissance buildings in Europe. The interior is furnished in the Baroque style. The entrance portico by František Maxmilián Kaňka with wrought iron grilles also serves as the entrance to the adjacent Church of St. Clement. Since 1810, the chapel has been owned by the Italian state.