The Parnas Fountain has been decorated with the largest Christmas light installation in Brno. The dominant feature of Zelný trh was illuminated on 15 November, and the City of Brno is now planning to extend the illumination of the fountain all year round.
The cultural monument in the heart of Brno’s historical centre, designed by Viennese architect Johann Bernhard Fischer of Erlach, dates from the late 17th century. Nowadays, the fountain is owned and managed by the Brno-střed city district, which carried out a complete reconstruction this year. The illumination project is directed by the VISUALOVE studio.
“The Baroque Parnas Fountain is the dominant visual element of Zelný trh and lends a unique charm to the Christmas markets,” said Vojtěch Mencl (ODS), the mayor of Brno-střed district. “Thanks to the festive lighting, the fountain will stand out even more, and the details will be highlighted, not only at Christmas, but also throughout the year.”
The illuminated monument can be admired every day from sundown until midnight, when it automatically turns off. “Christmas at Zelný trh is one of the most beautiful in all of Brno,” said the 1st Deputy Mayor of Brno-střed, Ludmila Oulehlová (ANO). “Thanks to the illuminated water element, the atmosphere here is even more charming. At the same time, Parnas is the largest Christmas light installation in the city that visitors to the Christmas markets will see. During the Christmas period, the fountain will be dressed in blue and gold, and after the holidays it will be dressed in warm white tones.”
The renovations carried out at the beginning of the year refreshed the state of the fountain; the monument was cleaned and treated and the allegorical statue of Europe was removed from the top. Next year, a replica of the statue will be added back to the fountain and it will also be illuminated.
“The fountain is equipped with intelligent lights that we control remotely,” said Jan Machát from the VISUALOVE studio. “You can set countless modes, change colour tones, or set the intensity of the light. The lights are placed around the entire perimeter and at the top inside the fountain, so that the monument stands out as much as possible.” Machát is also behind several other installations in Brno, such as the illuminated roof trusses of the repaired St. James’s Church, the Brno Festival of Planets on Kraví hora, and the illuminated water reservoirs on Žlutý Kopec during the Prototype festival.
