Since the start of this year, work has been underway to rehabilitate the roof truss and attic ceiling in the small and large fresco rooms of the former Augustinian monastery in Šternberk.
The historical wooden structures and elements survive as irreplicable proof of our ancestors’ craftsmanship and feel for aesthetics. From the Middle Ages up to the mid-19th century, these wooden elements not only constituted parts of buildings, but also of many machines, vehicles, tools and other equipment. Indeed, a thorough understanding of the material properties and different types of wood was essential. In many cases, the most suitable type of wood was selected specifically for each use and felled in carefully selected locations. In heritage conservation, the question often arises as to whether truss structures infested with wood-decaying pests should be replaced with entirely new materials, or whether they can be rehabilitated and their authentic historical value preserved.
As for the wooden elements of the listed monastery building in Šternberk, the missing masonry parts were filled in, including joints and other components infested by wood-decaying fungus. In transferring the nine-metre beams to the truss area, the workers had to dismantle part of the roof structure. All new timber was spray-treated with the fungicide Bochemit QB Profi.
The former Augustinian monastery enjoys a prominent position alongside the parish church. It is a two-storey, four-winged Baroque building with a gabled roof with hipped-roof endings. The Baroque rectory and the former monastery are centrally connected to the Gothic church cloister. The former seat of the Augustinian canonry, founded in 1371 and abolished in 1786, the premises were even used as a military hospital during the Napoleonic Wars. In addition to the work currently being carried out, repairs to other monastic premises are set to be begin and a community centre will be established on the site upon completion.
Photographer: David Sedlák. Text produced in cooperation with the editorial team of the PROPAMÁTKY website.
