Construction works are currently being carried out in the basement, and what the contractors and archaeologists found was a surprise, said the deputy head of the Administrative Department for the Assembly and county mayor Mladen Jakopović at the press conference.
- An additional well was discovered, as well as new huge rooms that follow the entrance to the palace and the passage under the stairs. We were pleasantly surprised to find these premises and we are working on coordination with the aim of putting them into the function of the Visitor Center as we had initially imagined, but with new functionality and new value - said Jakopović.
Marina Šimek, an external associate of the Varaždin City Museum, a retired archaeologist, pointed out that the research was not completed, but the most interesting thing they found were the foundations.
- It is mainly about stone construction, and it is about the foundations of an older building that was located in this place. It was the building of the generalate which existed approximately in this place since the 16th century. Those stone and massive foundations in an uninterrupted length of some 13 meters also tell us about the size of that old building of the generals - said Šimek.
A large amount of movable archaeological material was also found. - These are fragments of ceramics, ceramic dishes. Parts of window glass and a large amount of animal bones were also found, which were discarded as waste, and these are the food remains of the former inhabitants of this part of the city. An interesting amount of ovens, that is, parts of clay ovens, so-called kahli that were once in use here, were also found, from the simplest, cheapest, to the luxurious and beautiful ones. Apart from the foundation, it seems that the oldest findings come from approximately half of the 15th century - explained Šimek.
According to Šimek, the rooms that were discovered during the works represent the oldest part of the County Palace.
- One narrow room that has a certain slope and looks more like a passage is particularly interesting. Its function is still unknown, we cannot determine its purpose, but it leaves us with the possibility to document it, remember it and not forget it - Šimek concluded.
The press conference was also attended by the head of the Administrative Department for Economy and European Affairs Darko Majhen, senior expert for regional development and European affairs Marta Tobias, director of the Varaždin City Museum Miran Bojanić Morandini and representatives of the contractors.
Let us remind you that the total value of the project Active Tourism Meets Advanced Technology in Cross-Border Area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is EUR 1,245,215.36, and 85 percent is co-financed from the European Fund for Regional Development, i.e. from the Cross-Border Cooperation Program INTERREG V-A Hungary - Croatia 2014-2020. As part of it, two visitor centers will be established, one in Varaždin County, and the other in the city of Csurgó in Hungary.
The value of the decoration of the Varaždin visitor center, which will be modernly equipped, is estimated at around HRK 6.3 million, of which HRK 4.3 million is related to the contracted construction works. The European Union co-finances the project with 85 percent, while the rest will be provided by the Varaždin County until the financial structure is closed. The managing body of the Interreg V-A Cooperation Program Hungary-Croatia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) has decided that this EU project will receive additional co-financing from the Program, with an available amount of HRK 1,921,756.65 (EUR 255,060.94) in grants that will be distributed to partners. The project budget for Varaždin County is additionally increased by HRK 1 million (EUR 133,772.41).