Mestská veža (Trnava Town Tower)

Trnava Region

Mestská veža in Trnava is one of the city's most important Renaissance monuments, featuring a massive square prism structure with eight above-ground floors and a total height of 57 meters. The viewing gallery is located approximately 29 meters above ground, offering panoramic views of the city. The tower's corners and highest floor are decorated with diamond sgraffito, and a sundial adorns its southeastern side. Above the entrance, a circular relief depicts Christ's symbolism. Construction began on July 28, 1574, by mason Jakub under the mayor Juraj Schlegl's supervision. Despite fires in 1666 and 1683 that destroyed the roof, the masonry remained intact. The original crescent moon and star atop the tower were replaced between 1739 and 1742 by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, which was later replaced in 1791 by a gilded copper statue with a rare double-faced design, symbolizing the Virgin watching over all sides of the city. The tower houses a historic clock mechanism installed in 1729 by Franz Langer, notable for its precision and maintained by the Nemček family for generations. The facade underwent restorations to restore its Renaissance appearance, most recently in 2004. Today, the tower contains an information center and an exhibition detailing the history of Trnava, making it both a cultural landmark and a tourist attraction.