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The Black Tower Educational Trail

Welcome to the steepest educational trail in the Czech Republic. You are about to climb a lot of stairs to get to the top. Along the way there will be 6 stops where you will learn about the history of the most famous monument in Klatovy.

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Stop 1

Origin of the Tower 

In the middle of the 16th century, Klatovy was one of the richest towns in the Bohemian Kingdom. However, it lacked a representative landmark. In 1547, the construction of the watchtower was commissioned to Master Antonín (perhaps originally an Italian), who completed the stone part in 1555. The trusses were installed by Klatovy Master Pityha in 1557. The roof was made of copper, and on the top, there was a weathervane in the shape of an archer with a drawn bow and arrow.

 The tower became an important part of the town's defence system and fire protection.

 Dimensions:

Base width: 9.88 m x 10.57 m

Height of the viewing gallery: 48 m

Total height: 81.6 m

Width of masonry on the ground floor: 3 m, on the top floor: 2.7 m.

A medieval torture chamber is below you.

 

Interrogations were conducted by the town's bailiff, who gave orders to the executioner. The execution was attended by two councillors as witnesses and a scribe who recorded the interrogation in the so-called books of bad luck. They all entered the torture chamber through a special door from the courtroom in the town hall. 

 

The executioner and his henchmen brought the prisoners from the cells by a staircase hidden under the stone staircase that you have just come up on. 

 

Torture was used only in very serious cases for which there was the possibility of the death penalty (murder, robbery, arson...) and the accused did not want to confess.

If you want to climb our tower, you need strength in your legs. If you use your head, you can do something more. You can check your answers at the top. Don't forget to count the stairs; so far there have been 43.

What's below you on the first floor of the tower? Shuffle the letters to find out: TURETOR CHAMBER

 

Have you figured it out yet? So merrily on to the next stop. It's just 19 stairs.

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Task 1

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History of the Tower and its Many Appearances 

Stop 2

Over the centuries, the town of Klatovy was repeatedly affected by large fires, which completely changed its appearance. The appearance of the watchtower has also changed.

 

The original roof was destroyed in a fire in 1579. A new one was built two years later, but it was not as expensive. It was only covered with white sheet metal.

 

The roof burned again in 1615. The new roof was only covered with shingles due to a lack of money.

 

In 1689, the whole town and the roof of the tower were again destroyed by fire. It was not repaired until 1727. The roof was raised by four feet (7 metres) compared to the original. A gilded cupola with a weathervane and a gilded eagle was installed.

 

The tower completely burned down again in 1758. It was repaired four years later.

The last fire destroyed the roof of the tower in 1810. It was then given its new form with two round towers, but covered only with shingles.

 

In 1854, the roof was found to be in a very poor condition and needed to be completely repaired. From the three proposals submitted, the councillors chose a roof design similar to the original in terms of a slender gable with four dormers.

 

On October 26, 1870, a terrible storm hit Šumava, knocking down the entire tower truss (the place of impact is marked in the pavement of the square). The new roof was built in 1872.

 

In 1966, the roof was overhauled, and in 1976, the stone structure was completely repaired—pulling down the tie rods, pairing, and replacing some of the stones.

Task 2

If you put the correct numbers into the sequence of numbers, you will get the year the tower started being built: 

5, 10, ?, 20, 25, 30   •   2, ?, 8, 16, 32, 64   •   13, 11, 9, ?, 5, 3, 1

It's 64 stairs to the next stop. Take a good look at the clock on your way up; you'll find the task on the next floor.

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Stop 3

The Clock

t was unthinkable that this magnificent tower would be without a clock. It was the so-called Old Bohemian astronomical clock, which had a dial divided into 24 parts (the so-called 24-hour clock). It had only one hand and showed how much time was left until sunset, when the new day began. The time was struck on a cymbal placed at the top of the tower.

The black square face of the tower clock measures 426 cm × 426 cm. The length of the raffia (hands) is 380 cm and 360 cm. The hands of the clock show the hours, as was the custom until the end of the 19th century—the longer one shows the hours, the smaller one the minutes.

 The tower clock strikes quarters on a smaller bronze cymbal suspended in the top of the truss; the whole clock is struck first with a hammer on the bell and then the same number of beats on the larger cymbal in the top.

 The clock is driven by four stone weights. The clock had to be wound by hand once a day until 2004, when an automatic winding machine was installed.

The current 24-hour hour clock was made in 1899, according to a drawing by the Klatovy historian Prof. Ferdinand Vaňek. The decorated square measures 435 x 435 cm. In the centre are the emblems of the town of Klatovy.

 

The new clockwork was made by Klatovy mechanic Jan Bošek. It was placed on the tower in 1855, and it is still functional today. Its dimensions are: width 208 cm, height 49 cm, and depth 71 cm. The pendulum is 167 cm long.

The black square face of the tower clock measures 426 cm × 426 cm. The length of the raffia (hands) is 380 cm and 360 cm. The hands of the clock show the hours, as was the custom until the end of the 19th century—the longer one shows the hours, the smaller one the minutes.

 The tower clock strikes quarters on a smaller bronze cymbal suspended in the top of the truss; the whole clock is struck first with a hammer on the bell and then the same number of beats on the larger cymbal in the top.

 The clock is driven by four stone weights. The clock had to be wound by hand once a day until 2004, when an automatic winding machine was installed.

This astronomical clock is a bit different. Can you see what time it is? 

Here’s a hint: The big hand tells the time on this clock.

Now take a deep breath and continue going upstairs. Just 23 stairs until your next task.

Task 3

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Stop 4

The Bell

The current bell is the fourth; the previous ones melted down in the tower fires. In 1759, it was cast by the Italian bellmaker Peter Antonius Jacomini from Passau. He cast it in the ground in the courtyard of the adjacent Jesuit college.

The bell was given the same name as the previous one, Bartoloměj Ondřej, but locals in Klatovy call it Vondra.

Such a large bell is rung only by hand. The bell was rung by the tower keeper and his assistants.

 The main mission of the bell was to warn the inhabitants of approaching enemies and fire. The announcement of the danger was made by striking the bell with the heart, the so-called striking.

 The bell was rung on important religious and secular festivals, but also on important funerals.

 The bell was not used during the socialist era.

 In 1990, a group of Klatovy enthusiasts came together, and the bell started ringing again thanks to their efforts; its sound can still be heard in the surroundings today. It rings regularly, eight times a year, on important church and state holidays.

 The bell had a very turbulent history, which you can learn about in detail on the website of the Klatovy Bell Ringers.

 The Vondra bell is one of the 20 largest bells in the Czech Republic.

Weight of the bell: 3,915 kg

Weight of the heart: 131 kg

Lower diameter of the bell in the wreath: 195 cm

Height of the bell: 145 cm; 180 cm including the crown.

It has a very deep sound and is tuned to F sharp.

The bell is made of an alloy called bell metal. What elements does it consist of?

Copper and zinc, copper and tin, or iron and carbon?

Task 4

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Stop 5

What the Visitor Doesn’t See