Original scientific paper
DILEMMAS AS TO THE TOWER ROOF RECONSTRUCTION ON THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE AT BELEC
Ivo Maroević
; Zagreb
Abstract
The St. George Church at Belec is a precious cultural monument. Built during the first half of the 14th century, it underwent numerous reconstructions and additions. After a series of investigations, and an intervention by the Institute for Preservation of Monuments in 1946-1948, it has been preserved in the present condition.
Intensive cracks in the walls were noticed in 1870, mainly in the bell tower beneath the ending neo-Gothic masonry, and in the nave walls and vaults. The cracks and deformations of the tower walls required urgent removal of the built addition, which caused dilemmas to arise as to the shape of the new tower roof.
Three possibilities were studied: 1) to build a facsimile neo-Gothic towertop of a lighter material, 2) to erect an early Baroque onion-shaped 17th century roof, as we know it from the drawing of ladypainter Fanny Daubachy (1872); 3) to find a modern solution harmonizing with the other elements of the church.
The chosen solution of the tower reconstruction in the early Baroque style with a onion-shaped roof, for which a study was made after a detailed analysis of the above-mentioned drawing as a basis for the reconstruction has not been accepted by the competent State Commission. It preferred the Gothic style, suggesting a steeper tent-like roof to a modified solution as agreed upon in the end. The tent-like roof has been softened by eliminating the sharp edges, and has been covered with copper plates in order to avoid any impression of authenticity, since there were no data able to confirm such roof shape.
The author concludes that, in the final decision involving the reconstruction of the above church, the scientific elaboration was neglected, in spite of the fact that it offered sound data for the reconstruction of the early Baroque shape of the bell-tower that existed in the second half of the 19th century.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
159664
URI
Publication date:
23.12.1980.
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