Culture: Romanesque Palace at Spis Castle Stabilised in First Restoration Phase

Spisske Podhradie/Bratislava, 7 August (TASR) - The Romanesque Palace at Spis Castle, which was in a critical structural condition, has been stabilised as part of the first phase of restoration works, Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (an SNS nominee) declared after inspecting the progress of works during a site visit on Friday. The total eligible cost of the restoration project for the Spis Castle national cultural monument amounts to nearly €19.74 million. "Today is a special day for us because, after 20 years, we are able to enter areas that have until now been inaccessible. I am pleased that we are moving forward step by step, and the work will continue until visitors are able to come here and see what awaits them. We toured the castle in detail and learned about the work that has been carried out," the minister said. According to Simkovicova, the project's total eligible expenditure exceeds €19.73 million, of which more than €16.77 million is financed by the European Union. The current contract value of the first phase, covering the structural stabilisation of the Romanesque Palace, stands at more than €6.81 million, including VAT. "I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Slovak experts who saved this Romanesque Palace. We have every reason to be proud. This is only the beginning of the systematic restoration of Spis Castle, one of the greatest treasures of Slovakia's cultural heritage," said Lukas Machala, secretary general of the Culture Ministry's Service Office. mf