Powder Tower (or Powder Gate) in Prague -This is an ancient building in the city center. When it was laid, it should have had a practical purpose, but now it’s just an architectural monument. It was built on the site of one of the thirteen towers, from where the procession began at the coronation of kings.
Predecessor tower
In place of the City Tower, which stood a little to the west, the Powder Tower appeared later. Prague at that time was much smaller, and just at the City Tower ended the city line.
The gate tower was connected by a gallery tothe royal court. Previously, the palace was located on the site where the Municipal House is now located. It was decided to replace it after it collapsed. The people called her so - "stripped."
A logical question arises: why was it allowed to dilapidate its gates and towers?
The fact is that the palace and the towers were located in the Old Place, and in 1348 the New Place arose, behind which a new defensive fortification was built.
Powder Tower in modern Prague
Now the tower is solely an object of culture and does not carry any practical functions. When it was built - it was the boundary of the city, but today in the center is the Powder Tower.
Prague and its surroundings open from the observation deck on the tower. In order to get to it, you need to overcome 163 steps.
The height of the tower itself is 65 meters, the site is located just below - at a distance of 40 meters.
Inside there is a photo exhibition, an exhibition of armor andweapons. Many guided tours depart from the Powder Tower; this is a very convenient landmark. It also has a small souvenir shop where you can buy a coin with the image of the Powder Gate.
At the entrance to the Powder Tower stands a man in red.clothes with fake weapons and invites everyone to rise. Under the roof you can read all the information about the sights. By the way, there are texts in Russian.
On the very roof of the Powder Tower you can see not only a beautiful panorama, but also inscriptions made by tourists from all over the world. The oldest is left in 1821.
Powder Tower Construction
In those days, the Gothic style enjoyed greatpopular, it is not surprising that the Powder Tower was built in this style. Prague of those times, and not only it, had many Gothic buildings.
The city architect Matej Reysek designed the tower, and Master Vaclav managed the construction. During the first year of work he managed to build the first floor.
Further work was more difficult, because apart fromrough masonry had to make an artistic outer shell. And it would not have coped with the usual mason. Therefore, Martin Reysek, who was a self-taught amateur, was the one who helped master Wenceslas.
When he grew into his mastery of Wenceslas, heentrusted to complete the construction. But he could not do it, because the royal court returned to Prague Castle - the king began to worry about his safety after the religious unrest in the country. In addition, funding problems began. They placed a temporary roof on the unfinished tower and began to use it as a powder depot. Hence the name.
Long stood unfinished Powder Tower. Prague managed to change more than one king, but only in the 80s of the 19th century did construction continue.
Tower decorations
Декоративных элементов, которые были сделаны Martin Ricek, almost gone. Only small sculptures. No one particularly followed the preservation of the historical monument, so many elements were removed so that they did not threaten the lives of passersby. The magistrate even discussed the idea of demolishing the Powder Tower at all. In addition, the Powder Gate was greatly affected in the Seven Years War.
For restoration invited Josef Mocker. He called a few more sculptors.
The tower was decorated with sculptures of kings and church plots. Images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Apostles, Adam and Eve appeared on the third floor of the tower.
Symbols of the virtues of kings were placed in the corners, and on the second floor there were the coats of arms of the earths and angels. On the first floor, a bust of Reisek and a knight's figure were placed.
The masters tried to do everything in the style of the time when the tower only began to be built, but some changes did occur.
Interior decoration
The interior of the tower is made in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic. On the ground floor, the Gothic arches coexist with the consoles that adorn the figures characteristic of the Romanesque style.
On the second floor, the vaults are slightly different, but they are also decorated in a Gothic style. The ceilings are decorated with coats of arms.
The stained glass windows depict symbolic subjects: a monk with a book, a woman with a sheep, an angel with a book, and others.
How to get there
The Powder Tower in Prague is located on Republic Square, you can reach it by metro, near the station of the same name. Or you can take trams 8, 91, 14, 26.
If you are afraid of getting lost and do not find the Powder Gate, the Prague guide contains comprehensive information on how to get to them.
