Monuments get nearer.

(From The Slovak Spectator)

Byline: Zuzana HabSudova Spectator staff

September festival finds attractive ways to bring public closer to heritage values A RECENTLY restored sculpture of Madonna with Child, created by a master sculptor from Hronsky Be"adik in the 15th century, should have been one of the highlights of this year's annual European Heritage Days festival, part of which takes place in Slovakia. An exhibition, capturing the work's restoration process, which was planned to travel across the country, had to be postponed indefinately due to a lack of finances. "It's a pity that the project will not be presented during the festival," said Eva Gazdikova, director of the Regional Monument Board in Trenein. The European Heritage Days festival, held under the auspices of the European Council, runs annually in more than 40 European countries throughout the month of September. It presents a number of activities and projects to a wide public audience exhibiting the values of European heritage. Each year it is organised under a particular theme. The theme of this, 13th, year is called From Individual Collection to National Institutions. According to the Culture Ministry of the Slovak Republic, Slovakia is one of the oldest participants of the European Heritage Days festival, where the festival enters its 12th year. Despite the fact that the exhibition of the restored gothic Madonna did not make it to the festival, according to Slovak organisers, the programme promises a satisfactory number of activities across the country. One of the most interesting ones, from a restoration point of view, is the opening of a privately owned baroque Chateau in Tovarniky, near Topo3/4eany, to the public. ...