In June, several types of restoration work will begin in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Vojtěch. Those on the stained glass windows with the theme of the Holy Trinity have already started, and monitoring of the mosaic of the Last Judgment on the Golden Gate of the cathedral is also currently underway. The total restoration of the plinths around the entire perimeter of the building is also underway, and scaffolding is starting to be built near the southwest tower, which will be used for the next stage of care for the outer shell and will also allow the revision and treatment of several figurative gargoyles.
The St. Vitus Cathedral has been undergoing gradual repairs and restoration continuously, without interruption, since 1973.
At the Golden Gate, restorers are now working on a unique mosaic of the Last Judgment from the 14th century. The mosaic is composed of more than a million pieces of chipped glass cubes and stone, making it one of the largest and best-preserved mosaics in Europe, and unlike most others, it is mounted on an exterior facade. It underwent a major restoration at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and then before the end of the millennium when it was restored and covered with a protective layer of special varnish. The condition of this protective layer is monitored annually.
In June, the restoration work will also focus on the stained glass window with the theme of the Holy Trinity. It was made between 1935 and 1936 by the artistic glazier Josef Jiřička according to the design of František Kysela. Jiřiček’s diamond-engraved signature has survived to this day on one of the parts of the glass filling. During the period of the protectorate, the stained glass had to be dismantled and never returned to its place – in the middle window above the main altar there is a stained glass window designed by Max Švabinský. However, the pieces of Kysel’s stained glass are part of the art collections of the Prague Castle; their restoration is provided by the Jirička-Coufal art glassworks, the successor of Josef Jiřička’s workshop.
In addition to the work on the exterior, restoration work is also planned inside the cathedral, in two parts of the choir.
Photo: © Prague Castle Administration, Jan Gloc