The Powder Tower (or the Powder Gate) in Prague is an ancient building in the city center. When it was laid, it should have a practical purpose, but now it’s just a monument of architecture. 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 later appeared. Prague at that time was much smaller, and just on the City Tower the city line was ending.
The gate tower was connected by a gallery to the royal court. The palace used to be on the site where the Municipal House is now located. They decided to replace her after she was dilapidated. The people nicknamed her - "tattered."
A logical question arises: why were they allowed to dilapidate their castle gates and towers?
The thing is that the palace and towers were located in the Old Place, and in 1348 a new place appeared, behind which a new defensive fortification was built.
Powder Tower in modern Prague
Now the tower is exclusively an object of culture and does not carry any practical functions. When it was built, it was the border 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 on it, you need to overcome 163 steps.
The height of the tower itself is 65 meters, the site is located a little lower - at a distance of 40 meters.
Inside is a photo exhibition, an exhibition of armor and weapons. Many excursions go 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 a red robe with fake weapons and invites everyone to rise. Under the roof you can read all the information about the attraction. By the way, there are texts in Russian.
On the 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 was very popular, 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 tower was designed by the urban architect Matej Reisek, and the construction manager was master Wenceslas. During the first year of work, he managed to build the first floor.
Further work was more complicated, because in addition to rough masonry, it was necessary to make an artistic outer shell. And an ordinary bricklayer would not be able to cope with this. Therefore, Martin Reisek, who was a self-taught amateur, began to help the master Wenceslas.
When he outgrew Wenceslas in his skill, he was entrusted with completing the construction. But he could not do this, because the royal court returned to the Prague Castle - the king began to worry about his safety after religious unrest in the country. In addition, funding problems began. They put a temporary roof on the unfinished tower and began to use it as a warehouse for gunpowder. Hence the name came from.
Long stood unfinished Powder Tower. Prague managed to replace more than one king, but only in the 80s of the 19th century the construction continued.
Tower decoration
There are almost no decorative elements that were made by Martin Ricek. Only small sculptures. Nobody especially watched over the safety of the historical monument, so many elements were removed so that they did not threaten the lives of passers-by. The magistrate even discussed the idea of demolishing the Powder Tower completely. In addition, the Powder Gate suffered a lot during the Seven Years' War.
For restoration, they invited Joseph Moker. He called several more sculptors.
The tower was decorated with sculptures of kings and church subjects. On the third floor of the tower appeared images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, Adam and Eve.
Symbols of the virtues of kings were placed in the corners, and emblems of the earth and angels appeared on the second floor. On the ground floor they put a bust of Reisek and a figure of a knight.
The craftsmen tried to do everything in the style of the time when the tower was just being built, but some changes nevertheless occurred.
Interior decoration
The interior of the tower is made in a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic. On the ground floor, Gothic arches are adjacent to the consoles that adorn figures characteristic of the Romanesque style.
On the second floor, the arches 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 plots: 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 get to it by metro, next to the station of the same name. Or you can take the trams 8, 91, 14, 26.
If you are afraid to get lost and not to find the Powder Gate, the Prague guide contains comprehensive information on how to get there.