Black Tower in Klatovy

It was built between 1547 and 1557 and was signed by the builder of Italian origin Antonio de Sella. It was not until fifty years later that a bell, later called Bartholomew - Andrew, was added to the tower, which was cast by the bell ringer Martin Jindra. Today, however, we more often find that people call him Vondra. The nearly five-ton colossus sustained many blows in the form of melting or partial damage in numerous fires, but the repaired survived the Nazi rage, which is not the case with many. It is known that the Germans used a number of bells to make weapons of war. This did not happen in Klatovy. The city council convinced our occupiers that removing the bell would irreversibly damage the walls of the entire building and that part of the tower would even have to be demolished, which was enough as an argument. It is surprising that he stood up to these criminals as sufficient.

Unfortunately, the Black Towers did not escape disasters, in the form of fires. They occurred mainly during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1872, a whole dome fell on the square due to a storm. The place where the ruins ended is marked with different tiles so far. Unfortunately, the tower also attracts people who have lost the meaning of life and are looking for redemption in the form of falling down. This has happened several times.

So if you decide to visit the Black Tower, named after the burning of masonry fires, you can see the immediate vicinity of the West Bohemian town, known for example for growing brightly colored carnations.

Author: Marcela Horká, Vlastimil Hloupý