The Humpolec Town Hall wants to complete the project for the renovation of Medova Villa this year

Humpolec – The town hall in Humpolec in the Pelhřimov region wants to have documentation for the repair of Medova Villa processed this year so that it can apply for money from the so-called Norwegian Funds. According to Mayor Petr Machek, this is one of the last opportunities to obtain significant funding for the restoration of the heritage-protected building. Currently, the estimated costs for it are between 30 and 50 million crowns.

"We have learned that there could be a grant call at the end of the year or at the turn of the year, which has been very interesting in previous years, allowing for tens of millions of crowns to be gained for cultural monuments," Machek said. The application must include project documentation and a building permit, so he believes it is not possible to delay the design work.

The city has already approached three authors who have experience with significant monuments and could provide the project documentation. The council, which will meet on Wednesday, February 25, will decide whether the city will allocate funds for the project. "We would like it to happen, for the funds for the project to be allocated, a contract could be closed with the developer of the project documentation, and it could simply be accomplished in time. Because it seems that this call will already be the last, which means that in the future there will be no chance of obtaining such nice funds," Machek said.

The cultural monument designed by architect Josef Gočár was purchased by the city in 2024 for nearly 25 million crowns. Since last year, it has been made accessible through guided tours and small cultural events. Over 1000 people have already participated in the tours, which will begin in April this year.

The villa was built by fabric trader Otakar Med between 1933 and 1934 in Tyršovo Square. The house served as a family and business residence and was later confiscated by the communist regime. After November 1989, the state returned the villa to the Med family. It has been preserved partially in its original state with the original furnishings, particularly concerning the apartment on the first floor. The city wants to maintain its authentic appearance. The ground floor is to be adapted for exhibitions and lectures.

Through the so-called Norwegian Funds, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway contribute to projects in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, which consist of the European Union and these three associated states. The supported projects aim to reduce economic and social disparities in the EEA and strengthen cooperation. Support from the funds is primarily directed to countries that joined the European Union since 2004.