Kronika konserwatorska 2009

FROM THE CONSERVATOR’S CHRONICLE 2009 2009 saw the completion of another stage of the major renovation of the Palace, the scope of the latter being involved with the construction and conservation works aimed at improving the technical condition of the building and the modernization of infrastructure for the sake of functionally upgrading the Museum and expanding its current off er. The works have been supervised by researchers and scientists, giving way to new discoveries in the sphere of the history of the former residence of magnates as well as its architectural alterations and the elements of historical decor. These pursuits have brought about the emergence of a new exposition in the perrons presenting transformations of the medieval urban planning and the developments in the area of Main Market Square (Rynek Główny). The exhibition was based on the results of the archaeological and architectural research carried out with the use of pioneer technologies in the conservation of building relics, cobbled surfaces, and unmodifi ed soil profiles. The arrangement is a perfect example of the combination of original historical objects with modern technical setting. Thorough research works have also been carried out on the façade of the Palace facing the Square. The aim of these works was to recognize the historical layers reflecting changes to the building’s style and to specify more precisely the design principles determined for the renovation of the elevation of that monumental edifi ce. An exploratory survey of the future colouring was performed, and the matter of the former location of the medieval emblem of the Pod Krzysztofory building was clarified as well. Contrary to the suggestions put forth in reference literature, the research did not reveal traces of the corner alcove which could have housed the alleged statue of the patron, namely the Gothic stone sculpture of St Christopher, currently in the collection of the National Museum in Kraków. The information confirmed during the research was that known from written sources about a patron’s statue situated in a shallow recess discovered between the first and the second floors. It could have indeed been a modern version of the sculpture, carved in low relief and removed in 1791. At the building at 4 Jagiellońska St, the renovation and adaptation works were continued in the western section of the Palace complex, including the one-storey outbuilding which houses a substation and garages. Concluding the works at these facilities intended as the Museum back rooms determined the launch of the general conservation of the main body of the Palace. The works were subsidized from the Narodowy Fundusz Rewaloryzacji Zabytków Krakowa (National Fund for the Restoration of Kraków’s Monuments, NFRZK). Apart from that, a subsidy from the NFRZK permitted the conservation and preservation works at three other historical structures converted into museums: the Barbican, the Town Hall Tower, and the Hipolit House. The Barbican – the most important structure in the system of medieval fortifications of the city; the renovation works were concluded at the building’s southward bottom storey passages for firers, provided with embrasures used by guards watching over the moat. The passages had been unavailable to the public before the renovation. Having them included in the newly devised trail will considerably enhance the building’s attractiveness for tourists. The Town Hall Tower – the works concluded as part of the first stage of the renovation consisted in the conservation of the representative room on the first floor, pursued in keeping with the arrangement introduced in the 1960s. The follow-up activities should include the conservatory works at the remaining interiors and the modernization of the worn-out infrastructure. It is also advisable to carry out an expert appraisal regarding the statics of the Tower. The Hipolit House – the conservation works included the basements and the entrance hall at the front building. The works consisted in removing the cement plaster and joints, desalting and consolidating the structure of the stone and brick walls, and cleansing and preserving the architectural details made of stone.