“It will be a bit of a watchmaking in some parts, especially the addition of bricks, so that the differences between the accessory and the real brick are not seen. We will complement the damaged ones with an artificial stone of the same color, “says the restorer Martin Číhalík, pointing to a spot in the walls of the chapel with a square floor plan, from where the original red bricks are chipped. The prayer house is surrounded by scaffolding, one car after another passing by on one of the busiest roads in the city.

The restorers will also restore the black horizontal stripes on the wall and the black cross under the cornice. Above it, you can now easily climb the scaffolding to the wooden tip. Looking at the roof of the chapel, it is clear that the wooden beams are in poor condition. “The truss structure is emergency, especially the load-bearing elements, which will be replaced 100%. The original that will be preserved are decorative carving elements, ie bell towers and dormer profiles, “Číhalík describes the condition of the collapsing roof.

The reconstruction of the chapel and its surroundings was designed by the architect Jaroslav Kaněk. “She found the only historical photographs where the clock can still be seen. So it was agreed that there would still be a clock on the roof in the dormer and that a bell would be added, which was also not there, because the chapel was in a terribly impoverished condition. It is a miracle that it has survived so far, “says the architect.

The original bell has not been preserved, so a new one will be cast. “From one old photo, we know the size of the bell, which comes from the bell tower. The bell ringer also suggested tuning the bell, which would be suitable there, “adds Číhalík.

The original cross, which the restorers removed and is now repairing, will also return to the top. The whole area around the chapel will be more accessible after the completion of the circuit in 2024 thanks to new pedestrian paths. “The chapel is the identity of the place, once there was the original colony on Kamenomlýnská, which was led only by the road, which was used by horse-drawn carriages, and there were boat trips on the river. It was such an excursion place with the mini-houses of the poor, who had it here as their stall, where they met. So a unique neo-Gothic building, of which there are few in Brno, “recalls architect Kaněk.

Chapel of St. Antonín Paduánský is also dedicated to St. Barbara. The Bishop of Brno, Vojtěch Cikrle, had previously approved this at the request of employees and enthusiasts of the Brno City Transport Company. Thanks to their efforts, the tram tunnel in the rock below Wilson’s Forest will be the first in the country that St. Barbara will supervise not only as a small statue at the portal, but also its own chapel. It may occasionally be used for religious services, such as drivers or accident victims.