The allegorical statue of Europe is back on top of the Parnassus fountain after a year. An expert replica of the work has been reinstalled on top of the statue, under which a time capsule has been placed with a message from the Brno-střed district for future generations.
The Parnassus fountain has dominated Zelný trh since the end of the 17th century. The immovable cultural monument, designed by the Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer and cared for by the Brno-střed district, underwent reconstruction last spring. The construction work also included the dismantling of the Statue of Europe, which was in poor technical condition due to weather conditions. After more than a year of work, restorers have completed an exact replica of the original work.
“The Baroque fountain Parnassus is one of the most important cultural monuments that visitors have the opportunity to see in Zelný trh,” said the Mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková (ODS). “After the return of the statue of Europe to the top of the water feature, Parnassus is complete again and can fully stand out, especially during the evening hours, when the monument is illuminated every day.”
The Brno-stred city district paid more than CZK 700,000 for the replica. The work was carried out by the company S:LUKAS s.r.o., who also participated in the restoration of the original work.
“We have set aside a place for the original Statue of Europe at the entrance to the city hall building, where it was moved in February this year. In the near future, we plan to slightly modify the space, for example by adding lighting,” said the 1st Deputy Mayor of the Brno-střed City District, Ludmila Oulehlová (ANO).
The sculptural creation, which weighs nearly a ton, was not the only object to be returned to Parnassus. During last year’s reconstruction, workers retrieved a time capsule that had been hidden under the statue of Europe, containing various souvenirs from the early 1990s – period prints, leaflets, and banknotes and coins from that time. All stored materials were taken over and processed by experts from the Brno City Archives, who cooperated closely with the city district throughout the entire process.
“In addition to some original items, we also placed a letter to future generations in the time capsule, in which we describe our care for the Parnassus fountain and the changes that Zelný trh has undergone in the last 30 years,” said Vojtěch Mencl (ODS), the mayor of the Brno-střed district, who wrote the letter.
