On Tuesday, 15 June 2016 the new Centre of Baroque at Mariánská Týnice was officially opened on the premises of the former provostry (designed by one of the prominent baroque architects – Jan Blažej Santini Aichel), which is also the seat of the Museum and Gallery of the Northern Pilsen Region at Mariánská Týnice. The Centre was established at the initiative of the Pilsen Region in the framework of the West-Bohemian Baroque Project. The exposition “Baroque and Its World” is part of the Centre of Baroque. The public can also look forward to lecture series, conferences and workshops on various aspects of baroque life. All information will be published on www.zapadoceskebaroko.cz.
“West-Bohemian Baroque, in particular baroque arts such as painting, architecture and sculpting belong to the major historical and cultural values of the Pilsen Region. Its qualities and cultural heritage were accentuated last year when Pilsen was the Capital City of Culture,” said Jaroslav Šobr, Councillor for culture, conservation and non-profit organisations, on the occasion of the opening of the Centre of Baroque, and added, “The Pilsen Region chose the Museum and Gallery of the Northern Pilsen Region at Mariánská Týnice as the Centre of Baroque due to its architecture qualities as well as its previous professional activities.”
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The Centre of Baroque will evaluate and use the existing facilities which will provide background for professional, publishing and educational activities. The lecture series will cover individual fields of baroque life and literacy such as visual arts, spiritual life, baroque personalities, life in towns, castles and monasteries, baroque landscape, garden art and the basics of science (geology). The knowledge of baroque fashion, numismatics, military, weapons and uniforms, baroque topography, educational system and education, fine arts as well as everyday family life will also contribute to the attractiveness of the program. The cooperation with partners from memory and educational institutions will contribute to create a valuable program for both professional and general public.
The newly opened exposition “Baroque and Its World” which focuses on “the legacy of the period which significantly marked Bohemian landscape with outstanding buildings as well as the souls of people who were able to perceive spiritual values and cultural tradition through arts, music and literature,” as Alena Svobodová, Head of the Department of culture, conservation and travel of the Regional Authority of the Pilsen Region said. She initiated the establishing of the Centre of Baroque as well as the whole West-Bohemian Baroque Project.
“The evaluation of Baroque as a period of great importance for West-Bohemian culture is relatively recent,” the Director of the Centre of Baroque and the Museum and Gallery of the Northern Pilsen Region at Mariánská Týnice Irena Bukačová explains, pointing out that “it was namely fine arts and architecture that played an important role during the discovering of baroque qualities, and the landscape here is marked by several baroque architecture buildings. The complex process of the origin and development of baroque culture in Bohemia proved to be one the most interesting periods of Central European history and elites from the Pilsen Region significantly contributed thereto.”
The Centre of Baroque is designed not only for professionals but for all those who want to know the Baroque period as it was in reality. Many still consider Baroque as “a period of darkness”, an attribute given to the era by the writer Alois Jirásek in some of his books. Those may be surprised when they, thanks to the Centre of Baroque, discover a rich social life of both noble families and common people.
The West-Bohemian Baroque Project in the framework of which the Centre was established, was officially started on 25 January 2016. The web portal of the project www.zapadoceskebaroko.cz, which provides up-to-date information and details of the Centre activities, was launched on 12 May.
The costs of the establishment of the Centre of Baroque, 1.93 mil. CZK in particular, were covered by the Museum and Gallery of the Northern Pilsen Region at Mariánská Týnice, with the contribution of 300,000 CZK from the Pilsen Region.