One of Gyula’s most important historic monuments is being saved with the meticulous care of a restorer

As we reported previously, the town council of Gyula has launched a public tender for the renovation of its Classicist (Empire-style) brick bridge spanning the castle moat. The single-arch bridge was built in 1802 to a design by Antal Czigler the Elder. On the brickwork of the bridge, between the piers on the parapet, a wrought-iron pattern of interlaced circles can be seen. The gatehouse standing next to it is in the Romantic style and dates from the 1850s. This key historic monument of the town has now fallen into a very poor state of repair, and its restoration cannot be delayed. This work has been undertaken by the successful tenderer, FUTIZO Kft., whose contractors will be able to restore one of Gyula’s most important historic monuments with a budget of approximately 118 million forints gross.

As part of a comprehensive restoration of a listed building, the contractor will be able to renovate the listed Kishidat. The primary aim of the project is to ensure the long-term preservation of the structure: experts will restore the building’s load-bearing capacity by replacing and reinforcing sections of the brick walls and the arch.

The most important thing is to tackle the problem of water

As a key part of the works, grout injection to combat ground damp is being carried out over an area of nearly 200 square metres, coating insulation is being applied over an area of approximately 300 square metres, and a gravel ventilation bed is being created along the wall piers to ensure the walls dry out effectively.

The modernisation work will not only affect the supporting structure, but also the bridge’s carriageway and appearance: the existing insulation beneath the road structure will be supplemented, the rainwater drainage system will be modernised, and the surface will be rebuilt using recycled materials from the dismantled sections: the carriageway will be paved with large cobblestones over 144 square metres and small cobblestones over 72 square metres. The façade surfaces, covering more than 300 square metres, will be treated with a breathable, wall-drying and waterproof plaster system, and finished with an elegant white colour scheme identical to the original.

The loose parts are being refrozen

The true artistic value of the project lies in the stone and metal restoration work, which also involves removing traces of previous, unprofessional interventions. The restorers clean, desalinate and reinforce the stone surfaces, and restore the stone plinths and capstones,

The missing sections of the balustrade and parapet will be replaced by re-carving 5.2 cubic metres of stone.

The overall historical picture is completed by the period-faithful restoration of the metal decorative elements – six wrought-iron balustrade spandrels and three carefully cleaned and repaired cast-iron candelabra.