Conservation & Restoration

Conservation remains one of the key priorities of The Lobkowicz Collections, o.p.s. (a Czech charitable organization), in line with our mission to preserve, study and share the Lobkowicz Collections with the world. Our team collaborates with expert conservators and specialists to conduct research, apply preventative conservation techniques, and undertake skilled treatment methods. We further develop and implement procedures for proper storage, handling, and display. Our conservation activities are made possible thanks to the generosity of private, institutional, and corporate donors — ensuring that the Collections are preserved and enjoyed by current and future generations.

If you are interested in supporting our conservation projects, please contact Partnerships & Fundraising Director, Barbara Starostová: b arbara.starostova@lobkowicz.cz.

Priority Projects

A Good Deed for Good King Wenceslas

Among our top priorities is an altar painting from the Roudnice Church of St. Wenceslas. The church was founded by the Capuchin Order in 1615, of which the Lobkowicz family were principle patrons. This dramatic late 17th-century painting, which once served as the main decoration of the church altar, depicts the figure of St. Wenceslas — the patron saint of Bohemia, whose virtues are lauded in the celebrated Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslas.” He is accompanied by St. Francis, with whom he presents the town of Roudnice to the Virgin Mary.

This painting has been deteriorating for over 70 years, its canvas flaking and its original frame lost. While the painting cannot return to the original desecrated church in which it was housed, its restoration would enable us to preserve the church’s legacy by using it as an altar piece in the Roudnice Castle Chapel, thus retaining its topographical and devotional integrity. The altar piece will serve as the focal point for public tours, weddings, and concerts today — preserving it in perpetuity and giving new life to the chapel.