RESTORATION OF THE OLD CASTLE
CONSERVING THE AUTHENTIC OLD CASTLE
STARTING POINT
The old castle is the oldest and historically most valuable part of the castle complex. Before restoration, its walls, plaster, wall paintings and timber elements were exposed to moisture, damage and continuing decay. The aim was not to make the building look new, but to preserve as much authentic fabric as possible and ensure its long-term stability.
RESEARCH AND
DOCUMENTATION
Architectural, conservation-restoration and other specialist investigations were carried out before work began. Building phases, traces of alterations, damage, surviving plaster and fragments of wall paintings were recorded. This documentation allowed decisions to be tailored to the actual condition of each part of the castle.
STRUCTURAL
STABILISATION
The first priority was to halt dangerous movement and protect the structure against further decay. Interventions were limited to what was necessary and carried out so that surviving walls and other historic fabric remained as unchanged as possible.
PRESERVING WALLS,
PLASTER AND WALL PAINTINGS
Cracks, irregular masonry, historic plaster, fragments of wall paintings and traces of previous interventions were not treated as defects to be concealed. They were preserved as evidence of the castle’s development. Missing areas were completed only where necessary for protection or to aid understanding of the space.
VISITOR ROUTE
The visitor route leads through the castle cellar and ground floor, connected to the inner courtyard, then through the upper floor to the castle attic. New equipment and safety elements are deliberately restrained so that they do not compete with the historic space.
RESULT
Today the old castle is not presented as a recreated historical stage set. Its value lies in its authentic materials, visible traces of time and preserved layers, offering visitors a direct encounter with centuries of castle history.
BACK TO THE CASTLE
