Jihlava will repair the Mother of God Gate next year; after discussions, it will not be fully plastered

Jihlava - The Jihlava town hall will have the monumentally protected Gate of Our Lady repaired next year. The city council selected a company this Thursday that will carry out the work for 8.6 million crowns excluding VAT. In addition to the façade, the crown of the tower will be repaired and interior modifications will be made, Mayor Petr Ryška (ODS) told journalists today. There were debates about the appearance of the gate; according to the mayor, the town hall chose a middle ground between plastering the façade and leaving the bare stone wall. The gate will not be completely plastered on the outside; the stones will be partially covered for reinforcement.

The 24-meter high Gate of Our Lady is the only preserved gate out of the original five central city gates. During the reconstruction, it will be closed. The information center will move from it to a house at the lower part of Masaryk Square.

Officials decided to remove the crumbling plaster from the Gate of Our Lady a hundred years ago. At a public debate regarding the repairs of the gate this May, experts suggested re-plastering the façade, arguing that the stones used do not correspond to its current appearance. However, there were objections from the public and representatives of local government defending the stone form of the gate.

"We tried to find a middle ground, so we opted for micro-plastering," the mayor said today. The joints in the masonry will be filled more prominently, and the filling will partially cover the stones. The appearance of the gate should not change significantly. "From a distance, I would say it will even look the same as it does now," Ryška said. He added that the restoration solution has the approval of heritage conservationists.

The city has chosen the company Stavba-final from Havlíčkův Brod for the repairs. If no one appeals against the decision, a contract will be signed with them. The work is expected to be completed within 300 days. The gate will then again serve tourism.