Wind damaged the roof of Červený Kameň. (source: Sme)
GENERALI Slovensko insurance company has received claims for many thousand of euros because of damage to cultural and historical monuments caused by natural disasters over the last two years. The insurer said the castles and chateaux of Červený Kameň, Bojnice, Zvolen and Krásna Hôrka were among the most-damaged historical monuments, the TASR newswire reported in late March.
In April 2011 a windstorm stripped away the copper roof of Červený Kameň with damage totalling €250,000. Extremely cold temperatures caused pipes at Bojnice Chateau to rupture this February and the leaking water also damaged wall coatings with total damage estimated at €12,000.
The same cold snap caused damage to Zvolen Castle estimated at €10,000. Krásna Hôrka Castle had a devastating fire on March 10 this year and suffered the most extensive damage, with repair costs estimated at this point at €8 million, but still rising.
The Culture Ministry told the media that the blaze at Krásna Hôrka demonstrated the efficacy of insuring Slovakia’s cultural monuments. Because it had an insurance policy, the Slovak National Museum, the administrator of Krásna Hôrka, has been able to take immediate measures to prevent additional damage while simultaneously beginning repairs to the castle.
