South Fortified Tower - Biskupstvo Nitra

South-west fortified tower

The creation of the fortified tower originates in the 5^th construction phase – the3^rd third of the 16^th century. The tower was built along with vaults on the 1^st and 2^nd above the ground floors. The top floor had a flat ceiling. Along with the tower a SW protective wall was erected almost up to the current height. The development continued in 3^rd quarter of the 18^th century. South-west tower was vaulted on the 3^rd above the ground floor. The vault was adjusted to the lower floors and the level of the floor was adjusted to the granary. The vault is made of bricks with 1720 stamps. Those bricks are the same as we found at the collapsed vault at the second elevated floor of the granary. In the 30s of the 20^th century an entrance to the South tower from the exterior was created. Allegedly, the tower served as a car repair shop for a while.

Thanks to a restoration research an inscription was discovered on the 1^st above the ground floor in the northern jamb of the original entrance to the tower. As the inscription was carved to the fresh plaster this means that it was carved at the same time as the plaster was created. The most likely it is the year 1574. The number 4 is displayed in a ribbon shape which is partially gothic shape of the digit.

According to doc. PhDr. Juraj Šedivý, MAS, PhD. (within his scientific and pedagogic practise, he focuses on paleography, epigraphy and codicology) “it might be the year 1514 whereas the gothic shape of the last digit – number 4 – would be too anachronical if it was 1574. The year 1514 corresponds to such type of the digit 4.”

Based on previously acquired information about the origin of the object it is likely that this is the year 1574. This may be related to the reconstruction performed by Dubovský that took place in 1572. There are three slots at the current granary where we can see the year 1572 in the inscriptions made by M. Dubovský. The wall and vault plaster could have been applied two years after the construction of the Tower.

The Project of restoration took account of complex elimination of existing plasters up to the height of 3 metres. Remediation plaster was supposed to be applied on the stonework cleaned of dust and surface impurities. At the current condition of the plasters the one originated in the last third of the 16^th century was not removed. It was cleaned, restored and the room is presented with new white lime coating and almost with all its original features.

Pri realizácii projektu bola pôvodná fasáda kostolíka očistená mechanicky ako aj pomocou chemického čistenia. Boli odstránené nevhodné konštrukčné prvky. Tvarovo, remeselným spracovaním a technickým stavom nevyhovujúca oceľová markíza nad vstupom do kostola bola na mieste rozpílená, a deinštalovaná.

Hmota nesúdržných pôvodných omietok, kamenného portálu a sochy sv. Michala Archanjela bola spevnená. Na omietanie boli použité minerálne omietky, s cieľom dosiahnuť poréznosť a pevnosť s originálom. Pri tmelení bolo dôležité rešpektovať zámer na reštaurovanie, postupne rekonštruovať zaniknutú profiláciu ríms, a ostatných prvkov. Rozsah rekonštrukcie určuje využitie pamiatky a konečná úprava, štuková omietka bola nanesená a hladená na povrch starších kompaktných omietok na celom povrchu plášťa objektu. Na doplnenie a domodelovanie chýbajúcich častí kamennej hmoty bol použitý tmel na minerálnej báze Cieľom tmelenia bolo dosiahnuť poréznosť materiálov, štruktúru povrchu a pevnosť tmelu totožnú s originálom. Omietané časti boli ošetrené jednou vrstvou náteru na báze silikátu. Druhá vrstva bude aplikovaná v jarných mesiacoch v roku 2017.

Farebné zjednotenie tmelov (na kamennom portáli a soche sv. Michala Archanjela) s originálom bolo realizované lazúrnymi farbami a prírodnými hlinkami.

The course of restoration work carried out on the barrel vault

1. Cleaning: the secondary adjustments, specified in the opening statements, will be eliminated from the surface of the plaster. The cleaning was realised mostly by mechanical means considering condition of older layers. Cement plaster and seals were removed, stonework was cleaned of dust and impurities.

2. Preservation: the plaster was fixed in places where it was released from the coating ground.

3. Plastering, float plastering: following the implementation project it was necessary to apply the remediation plaster approximately up to the height of crown of the arch borders. In places where the older plasters were not preserved, cement plasters were applied. These were completely removed. To the stonework, the remediation system was applied in the required thickness. On the prepared coating ground float plasters were applied. The float plasters structurally match the required surface.

4. Colour retouching, surface adjustments: full-area partly transparent coat of paint was applied by adding lime paint with light-stable pigments.

5. Recording: All the procedures were recorded in detail and in both, writing and pictures over the course of the restoration.

Restoration proposal at a glance

During the restoration, the secondary plaster layers were eliminated up to the layer originating in the third quarter of the 18^th century.

It is a secondary baroque adjustment of the vault which is very similar to the original layer and it is preserved in very good condition. After removing these layers, preserved fragments of the original layer were discovered. The newer plaster layer does not overlap the original one. It is only connected to it and unified in colour. After cleaning, the condition was consulted with the representatives from KPÚ Banská Bystrica. These experts decided not to present analogous wound probes and barings, on the contrary, after preservation of older layers it was decided to unify the whole space with a new float plaster with a white (broken white) lime coating. Restoration execution was carried out in accordance with the implementation project in which the conditions and application of remediation system were clearly defined.

Restoration proposal of the northern underpass at a glance and its course

As the presence of the original Renaissance plaster was confirmed the restoration proposal included its revealing thereby the plan was to eliminate secondary adjustments, sealing of cracks in plaster layer as well as a colour retouching. Restoration execution was carried out in accordance with the implementation project in which the conditions and application of remediation system were clearly defined.

1. Cleaning: All the secondary adjustments were removed from the plaster surface. The cleaning was done by mechanical means considering the condition of Renaissance layer of the plaster. The newer layers of plaster were cut off on the all constructions approximately up to the height of the vault borders. The purpose was to apply remediation system in the required thickness.

2. Preservation: In the places where the plaster was released from the coating ground it was fixed by lime grout.

3. Cementing: Decline of the original plaster layer was fixed by refilling using a lime-based cement. The plaster surface was united into a single structured surface.

4. Colour retouching: Retouching was carried out by adding lime paint with light-stable pigments.

5. Recording: All the procedures were recorded in detail and in both, writing and pictures over the course of the restoration.

Návrh reštaurovania severného podjazdu v skratke a jeho priebeh

Keďže sa potvrdila prítomnosť pôvodnej renesančnej omietky jej úpravy, návrh na reštaurovanie zahŕňal jej prezentáciu a teda odstránenie sekundárnych úprav, zacelenie prasklín tejto omietkovej vrstvy a tiež farebnú retuš. Reštaurátorská realizácia bola realizovaná v súlade s realizačným projektom, kde boli jasne stanovené podmienky a aplikácia sanačného systému.

1. Čistenie: Z povrchu omietky boli odstránené všetky sekundárne úpravy. Čistenie bolo vykonané mechanickým spôsobom s ohľadom na stav renesančnej vrstvy. Na všetkých zvislých konštrukciách boli cca do výšky nábehov klenby osekané vrstvy mladších omietok. Cieľom bolo aplikovanie sanačného systému v potrebnej hrúbke.

2. Konzervovanie: V miestach, kde bola omietka uvoľnená od podkladu, bola fixovaná injektážnou maltou na vápennej báze.

3. Tmelenie: Úbytky pôvodnej omietkovej vrstvy boli doplnené tmelom na vápennej báze, povrch omietky bol zjednotený do jednotne štrukturovaného povrchu.

4. Farebná retuš: Retuš bola realizovaná vápennym náterom s pridaním svetlostálych pigmentov.

5. Dokumentácia: Všetky stavy počas priebehu reštaurovania boli písomne a fotograficky zdokumentované.

Priebeh prác uskutočnených na reštaurovaní valenej klenby

1. Čistenie: z povrchu omietky budú odstránené, v úvode bližšie špecifikované sekundárne úpravy. Čistenie bolo vykonané prevažne mechanickým spôsobom s ohľadom na stav starších vrstiev. Cementové omietky a plomby boli odstránené, murivo bolo zbavené prachu a nečistôt.

2. Konzervovanie: v miestach kde bola omietka uvoľnená od podkladu bola fixovaná.

3. Omietanie, gletovanie: podľa realizačného projektu bolo nutné aplikovať sanačnú omietku cca do výšky nábehu záklenku. Na miestach kde sa staršie omietkové vrstvy nezachovali, boli v minulosti použité cementové omietky. Tie boli odstránené až na murivo, kde bol sanačný systém aplikovaný v odporúčanej hrúbke. Na pripravený podklad boli realizované gletované omietky tak, aby povrch svojou štruktúrou zodpovedal požadovanému povrchu.

4. Farebná retuš, povrchová úprava: celoplošný čiastočne transparentný náter bol realizovaný vápenným náterom s pridaním svetlostálych pigmentov.

5. Zdokumentovanie priebehu: všetky stavy počas priebehu reštaurovania boli písomne a fotograficky zdokumentované.

Návrh reštaurovania v skratke

Počas reštaurovania boli odstránené sekundárne vrstvy, až po vrstvu z tretej štvrtiny 18. storočia. Ide o sekundárnu barokovú úpravu klenby, ktorá je svojim charakterom veľmi podobná originálnej vrstve a je zachovaná v pomerne dobrom stave. Po odstránení týchto vrstiev sa na klenbe objavili zachované fragmenty originálnej vrstvy, ktoré novšia vrstva omietky neprekrýva, iba sa k nej napája a zjednocuje farebne. Po očistení bola realizovaná konzultáciu skutkového stavu so zástupcami KPÚ Banská Bystrica, ktorý rozhodol o neprezentovaní analogických sond a odkryvov, naopak bolo po konzervovaní straších vrstiev odsúhlasené zjednotenie celého priestoru novou gletovanou omietkou, opatrenou bielým (lomená biela) vápenným náterom. Reštaurátorská realizácia bola realizovaná v súlade s realizačným projektom, kde boli jasne stanovené podmienky a aplikácia sanačného systému.