Rehabilitation of Santini Water System in the Plasy Monastery

The article presents the process of rescuing the Baroque convent of the monastery in Plasy found on oak raft and piles. Santini designed a water system to bring clean water to the clay basins under the monastery. This measure kept the foundation structure under water and ensured its preservation. In the 18th century, knowledge of the behaviour of the building was lost, the water pipes necessary for the stability of the building were interrupted and many inappropriate interventions were made. Santini was mindful of this possibility and proposed an emergency scheme whereby ambient water is drawn into the foundation pools. However, now this source of water did not meet the requirements for the conservation of the foundation structure. This paper describes the partial repair of the water supply and evaluates its impact on the building by comparing the indoor microclimate before and after the repair, including the possibility of drying the indoor air in the building by spraying cold spring water, which in the past was provided by a baroque fountain. At present, the positive effect of the repair on the monastery’s foundation structure and the improvement of the indoor microclimate in the convent building through the spraying of cold water by fountain are evident. The tracking test has identified the connection of the parts of the water system and the division of the foundation water basins into independent units. Chemical analyses confirmed the suitability of the new water source for the foundation system.