Petition in Česka Třebová criticizes the construction that covers the rotunda

Česká Třebová - A group of residents in Česká Třebová in the Orlickoústecko region is protesting against the reconstruction of a house that overshadows the Rotunda of St. Catherine, the oldest monument in Eastern Bohemia. In about ten days, people collected 1600 signatures for the petition. Petr Kulička, the organizer of the petition, told ČTK today.

"We are preparing a petition to be sent to the relevant authorities, the regional building office, the heritage care office in Pardubice, and probably also to the city office in Česká Třebová and possibly to the Ministry for Regional Development," Kulička said.

The under-construction building is located in close proximity to the rotunda. According to Kulička, there were originally only old houses in its vicinity, which respected the overall panorama with their appearance. The organizers of the petition criticize that the new building is too tall, lacks a more suitable gable roof, and that the roof terraces significantly exceed the outer walls.

"The building has become a dominant feature not only with its roof but also with the terraces; we don't want it to turn into a modern monstrosity," Kulička said.

The originally single-story house is being reconstructed by the Friends of Jeunesse Lumiere, which aims to open it for cultural or spiritual events. It also announces that it will provide it as a venue for events organized by other organizations. As stated on their website, the community originally comes from France and is an international school of prayer and evangelization for young people.

"The building has a proper construction permit; it was designed for us by the city architect. After receiving feedback, we changed the project by two-thirds," said Hana Johnová, the head of the association, to ČTK, adding that further statements from the association can be found on their website. The association's statement suggests that the original house had stood by the rotunda for over 100 years and that the visibility of the rotunda has changed only to a small extent with the current reconstruction.

Governor Martin Netolický (ČSSD), who hails from Třebová, proposes that the area around the rotunda be granted the status of a protective zone. He will submit the proposal to the regional office and it will be evaluated by heritage conservationists. The mayor of Třebová, Jaroslav Zedník, stated that the rotunda is a monument and that the entire area is monumentally protected, which he believes is sufficient.

"After his positive stance, the city office in Česká Třebová should declare a protective zone. However, this does not affect the current situation but will prevent something similar in the future," the governor said.