The Public Works Administration has launched a tender for the reconstruction of King Nikola's Castle in Niksic.
Bids can be submitted by October 23, when their opening is scheduled, while the decision on the selection of the best bidder, based on the price and quality of the bid, will be made within 30 days.
The works on the Castle, worth 1.2m euros, as previously announced by the local government, imply the complete reconstruction of walls, ceilings, floors, part of the roof, repair of stone driveways and stairways, adaptation of the building to persons with disabilities, while special attention will be paid donated to the Heating and Cooling System for exhibit protection at the Native Museum. The deadline for completion is 12 months from the appointment of the contractor.
A tender for technical supervision during the reconstruction of the Castle has also been announced, and bids can be submitted by October 28, while the decision on the selection of the most favorable bid will be made within 60 days.
King Nikola's castle, the most beautiful building built by the family Petrovic, is located next to the city park and the Congregation Church.
It was built in 1900 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the reign of Prince Nikola.
For years, the Castle, which houses the Native Museum, two galleries, and a library, has been decaying, and because of the moisture and the roof leaking the museum exhibits have been threatened. There are five collections in the museum-gallery section - archeological, antique and medieval, ethnological, historical and gallery holdings.
Although the museum contains precious collections, such as archeological from the prehistoric site the Red Rock with more than 9.5 thousand objects, weapons from all the battles of the Montenegrin history, and the most significant ones were played in the territory of Niksic (Grahovo, Grahovac, Duga, Vucji do, Ostroski klanac). The gallery stock has the works of Lubarda, Sobajic, Prijovic, Stanic - a building that many say is the most beautiful of the four residences of the Montenegrin king, has simply been forgotten for years.
There were also five burglaries and collections, especially numismatic, were damaged.
The dilapidated facade, the curtains that "hide" the damp and moldy walls, has for years been a sad image of the Castle, which has never been sufficiently touristic valorized.
From 1919 until the beginning of World War II, a gymnasium was located in the Castle.
During the war, it was significantly demolished, and from 1949 to 1975 it housed the Primary School "Luka Simonovic", while the ground floor of the Castle from 1976 to 1980 was used by the Secondary School of Economics and Hospitality.
The castle, which until a few years ago housed an archive department that was moved to Niksic Theater building, was renovated in 1984.
Text by Svetlana Mandic, on September 30th, 2019, read more at Vijesti
