Right: The court imposed a financial penalty on the owner for damaging the monument

Prague - The court imposed a monetary fine of 900,000 crowns on the owner of two architecturally protected houses on Rytířská Street in the center of Prague, which were irreparably damaged during construction work. According to heritage protectors, this is the first such penalty for the devaluation of a protected object. Cesare Belliti, the managing director of the Italian companies, has already paid the fine, reported today's Právo.
The companies began repairing the Wimer Palace and the Hrobčický Palace several years ago without permission. "The monument has been devalued and irreparably damaged by the demolition of two load-bearing Gothic walls and two Baroque walls. Moreover, the objects are listed in the central register of UNESCO cultural heritage," Právo quoted from the judgment.
The criminal complaint was filed due to the damage to the monument by the city hall, the heritage institute, and the Club for Old Prague. According to heritage protectors, the court ruling is a breakthrough. "As far as my memory goes, I know of nothing similar. This is the first such ruling. And the fine is several times higher than what we could impose," said Jan Kněžínek, director of the municipal department of culture and heritage care, to Právo.
According to the club's chairwoman, Kateřina Bečková, the damage cannot be compensated with money, but the ruling could serve as a warning to other investors. The chief conservator of the National Heritage Institute, Josef Štulc, shares a similar opinion. "This is good news. It shows that violations of the heritage law are finally being understood as violations of the law," the newspaper quoted Štulc. "I see it as a significant precedent for the future," added the heritage protector.
If the managing director of the companies did not pay the fine, he would face a six-month prison sentence.