The next stage of repair and maintenance work on the Orsetti tenement house in Jarosław has been completed. They covered the roof and façade and are aimed at restoring the full splendour of the building, which is considered to be one of the most valuable historic buildings at the Jarosław market square.The renovation of the Orsettich Tenement House is part of preparations for the great 100th anniversary of the Jarosław Museum, which falls in 2025
The current appearance and internal layout of the tenement house is the result of many renovations and reconstructions. The building was erected at the end of the 16th century. In the 1740s, its then owner – a Cracovian merchant of Italian nationality, Wilhelm Orsetti – reconstructed the tenement house. The property was raised and brick arcades were added. This created the characteristic Renaissance façade, which has been preserved to this day, and the name of the building commemorates its distinguished owner
The main façade of the Orsetti building after two stages of renovation. Photo: Łukasz Śliwiński
The next major reconstruction of the tenement house took place after World War II, when the building became the new seat of the Jarosław museum. From 1945, a general renovation of the interiors, badly damaged after the war, was carried out, during which baroque, 17th-century polychromes were discovered. In some of the rooms, the original glazed brick floor (the so-called olster) was also uncovered. In the 1960s it was decided to adapt the tenement’s attic for offices, studios and museum storage facilities
At the same time as the interior renovation, salvage work was underway in the tenement’s basement. The buildings in Jarosław’s Old Town have cellars dug into the loess bedrock, which were in danger of collapsing after World War II. In the 1970s, the tenement house on Trybunalska Street adjacent to the Orsettis tenement house was demolished. This provided the museum with a spacious garden. The next stage of conservation work was at the beginning of the 2000s, when the tenement’s façade was repaired
The Orsettich Tenement House in Jarosław at the beginning of the 20th century and today. Visible are the rebuilt arcades, which were removed in the 1930s. The postcard is dated 1910, Published by the Salon of Polish Painters, Kraków. Collection of the Museum in Jarosław Kamienica Orsettich and Janusz Pruchnik/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By 2022, the facade of the townhouse needed another renovation. The interior also needed to be upgraded, primarily in the office area. A recurring problem was the leakage of the roof in the autumn and winter season caused by a lack of gutter heating and leaking skylights on the roof, which critically endangered the Museum’s work. The renovation of the Orsettich building, and more specifically the façade, began in 2022. Due to the enormous cost of the work, which far exceeds the Museum’s financial capacity, it is being carried out in stages. To begin with, the most damaged plinth area of the tenement was renovated. After removing the non-original sandstone slabs, restoration plaster was laid in their place. In addition, two buttresses of the arcade were painted. The cost of the works amounted to approximately PLN 120,000, which was obtained from funds provided by the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments and the organiser of the Museum, i.e. the District Starosty in Jarosław
The north-east wall of the Orsettis before and after two stages of renovation. Photo: Łukasz Śliwiński
The wall of the Museum from the side of Trybunalska Street – state before and after the renovation carried out by the students of the Vocational and Continuing Education Centre in Jarosław. Photo before – Ela Sieradzka-Burghardt, after – Łukasz Śliwiński
In 2023, the renovation of the northeast wall of the Orsetti building, which was in the worst condition, took place. This year also saw the renovation of the tenement’s arcades and the completion of last year’s work. The works amounted to more than PLN 190,000 acquired from funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Podkarpackie Monuments Conservator and with the support of the Museum’s organiser, the Jarosław district. Thanks to a grant of almost PLN 150 000 from the resources of the Marshal’s Office of the Podkarpackie Voivodship, the Museum was also able to carry out the necessary repairs to the roof. The scope of work included, among other things, repair and renovation of the roofing, execution of additional flashing made of copper sheet, widening of the gutter overhang made of copper sheet, replacement of downpipes, installation of snow traps, execution and installation of an anti-icing system on the roof, gutters and downpipes of the buildings and inspection of the roof skylights with replacement of gaskets, polycarbonate plates and actuators
The office room in the attic of the Jarosław Museum Orsettich Tenement House after renovation by students of the Vocational and Continuing Education Centre in Jarosław. Photo: Łukasz Śliwiński
Since January 2023, the Museum has collaborated with the Vocational and Continuing Education Centre in Jarosław. Amongst other things, the students carried out renovation work such as painting the walls and laying laminate in the Museum’s offices. They also carried out major renovation work on a wall built in the 1970s to separate the Museum’s garden from Trybunalska Street. The work included not only reinforcing the structure of the wall, but also renovating the entrance gates and creating a proprietary system for displaying outdoor board exhibitions
At the same time as the renovation work, the Museum’s exhibition space is being expanded and modernised
The renovation of the Orsettich House aims to restore its appearance from the first half of the 17th century. Work will continue in subsequent years as external funding is obtained
Source: Ela Sieradzka-Burghardt – The Orsettich Tenement House Museum in Jarosław
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