Praha 1 will repair the Kranner Fountain in the Old Town for 16.9 million CZK

Prague – The Prague 1 municipality will have the Kranner fountain in the Old Town restored for approximately 16.9 million crowns excluding VAT. This information comes from the announcements published in the public procurement bulletin. The municipal district intends to seek a grant from the Ministry of Culture for the work on the neo-Gothic monument dedicated to Austrian Emperor Francis I, according to earlier information.

The fountain with the monument and sculptural decoration is located in the Národní probuzení park on Smetanovo nábřeží. Prague 1 has been planning the reconstruction for several years due to stone damage. The originally estimated cost of the reconstruction was 36 million crowns excluding VAT, according to the bulletin.

In May, the city council granted Prague 1 permission to apply for a two-million crown grant from the Ministry of Culture from a program aimed at the regeneration of urban heritage reserves and urban heritage zones.

The fountain was unveiled in 1850, and its creators were architect and co-creator of the completion of St. Vitus Cathedral, Josef Kranner, and sculptor Josef Max. In 1919, the emperor's statue was moved to the lapidarium of the National Museum. It returned to its original place in 2003, when the monument was also last repaired. However, it is a replica; the original remains in the lapidarium. A second copy was also created, which is located in the Municipal Gardens in Františkovy Lázně.

Francis I reigned as the last Holy Roman Emperor from 1792. In response to Napoleon declaring the French Empire, he abdicated his title in 1806 and accepted the title of Emperor of Austria.