The reconstruction of the fresco hall of the Brno New Town Hall has been completed, it cost 34 million

Brno – The reconstruction of the Baroque fresco hall in Brno's New Town Hall has been completed, costing 34 million crowns. The work was originally expected to cost 25 million crowns, but during the process, the decision was made to restore not only the frescoed ceiling but also the walls. This was announced to journalists today by representatives of the city's leadership. The hall will also be open to the public, with guided tours being offered by the Tourist Information Center Brno (TIC) starting next year, said Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

Initially, restorers were supposed to restore only the ceiling fresco since the ones on the walls were too damaged. "In the end, thanks to cooperation with the Archives of the City of Brno, two historical photographs were discovered, based on which it was possible to recreate the frescoes on the walls. Thus, a scene of a regional court session returned to the hall after about 150 years, recalling the original function of the space as a courtroom. The frieze under this ceiling fresco is composed of the coats of arms of regional officials, and the entire vault seems to be supported by illusory pilasters, with two illusory statues of Justice and Prudence created in the niches between them," stated Deputy Mayor for Culture Tomáš Koláčný (Pirates).

For almost two-thirds of the duration of the work, restorers carefully revealed the remains of the destroyed fresco using scalpels. The Moravian regional court that was housed in the building was replaced by a kitchen, among other things, in the 19th century. Due to its operation, the fresco was so damaged that it was decided at the end of the 19th century to覆盖它. The current restoration of the painting was aided by the work of Moravian historian and archaeologist Mořic Trapp, who took two photographs of the wall decorations before covering the fresco and drew an approximate design of the ceiling decoration.

However, the frescoes on the walls of the hall could not be completely restored, as the period photograph captures only two illusory statues. Therefore, the restorers supplemented the other walls only with illusory pilasters and recesses. According to the city leadership, this fresco was the last known one in Brno that had not yet been restored.

The Baroque wall paintings in the Council Hall likely date back to 1728–1729. Construction work began in July 2019 and included the replacement of air conditioning, heating, or cooling systems in the room, sewage, and the distribution of water and electricity. The reconstructed frescoes and modern furnishings are complemented by a new crystal chandelier costing 800,000 crowns. In addition to the hall itself, the adjustments also affected the antechamber and stairway. All spaces have already been approved.