Another two Capuchin terraces have opened to visitors in Brno

Brno - Another two of the five Capuchin terraces belonging to the Capuchin monastery under Petrov Hill in Brno have reopened to the public after decades and a complete reconstruction. The gardens were ceremoniously opened today by representatives of the city and the Capuchin order.

"The first terrace, which is directly adjacent to the monastery, is reserved only for the order, while the second and third terraces, which have just been completed, have been granted to the Capuchin order by the city under a fifty-year lease," said Deputy Mayor Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL).

The entire reconstruction from the initial idea to the completion of the work took three electoral terms, but the actual work began last year. The originally estimated costs of 20 million crowns eventually reached 35 million. The entire amount was covered by the city of Brno from its budget.

"The terraces were in poor condition, and there were several places where they had collapsed," Hladík stated. One of the reasons was, according to him, construction modifications from the 1970s when a wine cellar was built under one of the terraces.

However, archaeologists discovered an unexpected find during the exploration - a lime kiln, which they believe dates back to before 1648, when the Capuchin monastery began construction. Its existence was probably related to other construction activities in the city.

Since last year, workers have reinforced the terraces, restored the stairs, and improved the railings between the different levels of the terraces. The public greenery department of the city of Brno oversaw the construction and will take care of the new planting.

The terraces with lawns, flower beds, trees, benches, and, most importantly, a view of the city will be accessible to the public in agreement with the order from March to October. The gate will be open every day between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The terraces belonged to the Capuchin order from the establishment of the monastery until the 1950s when the communists confiscated the monastery and the adjacent land. They returned to the order's property in the 1990s, but the order did not have the means to restore them.