In the Jihlava Church of St. James, the repaired truss will also be accessible

Jihlava - The freshly renovated medieval roof will be made accessible to the public in the Church of St. James in Jihlava. The staff are completing the preparation of a new tour route. It will open in the second half of April, if the infection situation allows, Norbert Dostál from the Royal Canonry of the Premonstratensians in Strahov, which manages the church, said today to ČTK. Another tour route will concern the interior of the church, which is a national cultural monument.

The two-year roof repair was completed at the end of last August. In addition to carpentry work, craftsmen replaced the roofing on the church. They created new walkways with railings for tourists in the attic, and winter saw the addition of lighting with a hundred light sources. "So the roof is completely illuminated," Dostál stated. The area has already been cleaned up after the craftsmen. It remains to equip the ticket office and ensure staff for the guiding service.

The massive roof of the church needed to be repaired due to damage from rot and some earlier interventions. The repairs cost 30 million Czech crowns, and making the roof accessible is one of the conditions for receiving European funding. However, according to Dostál, the roof deserves public attention. "It is from the year 1539 and it is simply amazing," he said. People will now be able to enter the church with a guide, which has so far only been opened during services. It was consecrated in 1257.

The monument will need further repairs, related to both towers of the church. The prepared project estimates costs around 20 million crowns, and the canonry will also try to secure a grant for it.

At the tower where the seven-ton bell Zuzana is hung, it is necessary to ensure the statics and restore the bell tower. For the bell from 1563, it will likely also be necessary to change the control system, as the bell has had an electric drive recently. "There is a growing opinion that the control should be manual. Moreover, this bell would be used only for exceptional events. It is unique, it needs to be preserved," Dostál stated. The viewing gallery of the second tower of St. James' Church needs repairs, including the railing.