The Crumbling Stalactite Chapel

The Stalactite Chapel is the popular name for the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene in the cloisters of Svatá Hora near Příbram, which lies below the Plzeňská Chapel. Its walls and ceiling are covered with artificial stalactites intended to evoke the impression of a cave — it is therefore a so-called grotto. The decoration dates from 1666–1667 and its donor was General Joanes de Lacron.

A grotto is an artificially created space imitating a cave. In the Renaissance and the Baroque period they were built in gardens, palaces and sacred buildings and decorated with artificial stalactites, shells, tufa or small pebbles. The aim was to give visitors the impression of having entered a natural cavern — it was one of the first deliberately illusive, “experiential” spaces in the history of architecture.

Because according to an old tradition St Mary Magdalene spent the last years of her life as a penitent in a cave. The Baroque builders therefore chose a solution that draws the pilgrim literally into that story: instead of painting a cave, they shaped the entire chapel so that it resembles one.

Yes. The chapel is part of the guided tour of the Svatá Hora grounds, although access is currently limited because of the state of the decoration. Mass is not celebrated there for the time being — pieces of the stalactites are coming loose. The current collection funds an expert survey that will establish the causes and determine the extent of the repairs needed.

A restoration survey is an expert assessment of the condition of a monument that establishes what exactly is happening to the work, why, how deep the damage goes and which repair procedure is the right one. It usually includes surveying, probes, an assessment of the original technology, a proposed procedure and a budget. For protected monuments it is the basis for the owner’s decision-making, for the consent of the heritage authorities and for grant applications — without it, expert restoration is generally not begun.

At the corners of the cloisters stand four octagonal chapels — the Pražská, Plzeňská, Mníšecká and Březnická — built in the 1660s to the plans of Carlo Lurago and decorated with stucco work by Italian artists. Each wing of the cloisters also contains two niche chapels, mostly built at the expense of noble families. Among them is the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, known as the Stalactite Chapel, with its decoration of artificial stalactites.

Because we do not yet know what the repair costs — and we do not want to invent the figure. We could estimate an amount and launch a big collection, but an estimate made at a desk usually differs from reality. An expert survey establishes what is happening to the decoration and why, and its output is a refined budget. Only then does it make sense to ask for money for the repair itself. It is the same as in medicine: examination first, treatment second.

We will publish it as it is — whatever the figure turns out to be. That is precisely why we are doing the survey: so that decisions are made on the basis of fact and not guesswork. A high figure is unwelcome news, but it is better to know it than not to suspect it.

What will be produced is a restoration report — an expert document with photographic documentation, the identified causes of the damage, a proposal for the correct procedure and a budget. It is the basis without which expert restoration of a protected monument is not begun: the heritage authorities need it, and the parish needs it both for decision-making and for grant applications. We will also make the report available to donors — you are not funding something that disappears into a drawer.

Honestly, we do not know yet — that is exactly what the survey is to determine. As soon as we know the extent, the procedure and the amount, we will publish them here and open a collection for the repair itself. Donors to the survey will be the first to learn the result.

The survey will be carried out by a restorer licensed by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute. Svatá Hora has been a national cultural monument since 1995, so any intervention and its preparation are subject to heritage protection.

Yes. Both individuals and companies may deduct the value of their gifts from their tax base, up to 30% of that base; for individuals the increased limit applies to tax periods up to and including 2026. We issue the donation confirmation automatically.