Have you ever walked through the village of Kostoľany nad Hornádom? You have certainly noticed the reconstructed old water mill. It houses a museum exhibition showing the history of the milling trade and bread making in the past. This exhibition is also related to a project that we supported with a grant of €2,600 from the Together for the Region 2024 program.

The village of Kostoľany nad Hornádom has decided to protect its cultural, spiritual and natural heritage by declaring local tangible and intangible landmarks as municipal landmarks.

These include, above all, the technically remarkable construction of the water mill with its grounds, small sacral monuments such as crosses and statues, commemorative plaques, the object of the old school building, an educational trail, or combined works of man and nature. Their condition required minor adjustments and making them more attractive. The project Restoration, Development and Presentation of the Monuments of the Municipality of Kostoľany nad Hornádom therefore focused on improving their condition, making them more visible and promoting them in the region, with the aim of developing the number of visitors to the municipality.

In the water mill building, it was necessary to treat artifacts, make display cases, make information panels and modify the entrance to the area. Local monuments such as crosses, the statue of St. John of Nepomuk and commemorative plaques were also treated and modified. Our colleague Peter Zahumenský from the information technology department was responsible for cleaning their surroundings, landscaping and painting the relevant structures.

Anton Medvec, mayor of the municipality of Kostoľany nad Hornádom (in the photo on the left, with Peter Zahumenský), talked about the project:

“The idea for the project was born a long time ago. The need for greater promotion of monuments and their presentation to the wider public was especially urgent after the municipal council adopted a generally binding regulation on the registration of monuments in the municipality of Kostoľany nad Hornádom. As a trained historian, I undertook to carry out historical research on monuments and developed the idea of ​​their promotion. Thanks to the volunteer brigades, it was possible to restore and repair several neglected and damaged local monuments. These were mainly the water mill building, the historical cemetery, the crosses in the vicinity of the village and the monument to those who fell in World War II. Time passed quickly and while during the creation of the project there were optimistic ideas about what could be done, in reality, in addition to other duties, it was sometimes difficult to set aside time and find volunteers to carry out the project activities. But despite everything, it was successful. Most of the activities are completed, only minor details such as descriptions for the exhibition, placing objects and artifacts in display cases, and installing signs are in progress. An information brochure titled Sights of the Municipality of Kostoľany nad Hornádom has also been created. The prepared information boards will complete the exhibition in the interior of the water mill, but will also be part of other sights in the village.”

However, the project is not over, the village is counting on its continuation:

"The project is still alive, we have further plans. The register of monuments will be expanded to include other objects. They also need to be maintained, renovated, and promoted to the public. Therefore, we plan to continue with the activities. We plan to complete the surroundings of the monuments, adding small greenery, flower beds, and relaxation zones with benches," added Anton Medvec.