Restoration of the church of St. Peter and Paul in Mělník - from exact purism to creative conservation
Abstract
The church of St. Peter and Paul is one of the oldest houses of God in the Czech lands.
The long history of the church has influenced the building by numerous building modifications. From the architectural point of view, the Mělník church represents a representative example of the main architectural styles from the Romanesque style to the High and Late Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.
It is the specific mix of building styles that has been the subject of creative considerations when planning restoration work. The reconstruction of the building was gradually led by two leading figures of Czech restoration, namely Josef Mocker (1835-1899) and Kamil Hilbert (1869-1933).
This paper should familiarize audience with the approaches of both architects to the restoration of historical buildings. The ideal example is the church of Sts.
Peter and Paul in Mělník, where both authors imaginary met in an ideological way.