City Tower in Trnava: the Renaissance landmark of the old town
The City Tower (Mestská veža) of Trnava is a 57-metre Renaissance watchtower in the centre of the town, built from 1574 and still crowned by a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. It is one of the best-known symbols of Trnava, with a clock mechanism from 1729, an exhibition on the town's history and a gallery with views over the rooftops.
The golden Madonna on top of Trnava's tower has a face on both sides of her head, so that she can never turn her back on any part of the town. Below her ticks a clock from 1729.
The history of the City Tower in Trnava
The written history of the tower begins on 28 July 1574. On that day a local master mason named Jakub promised the mayor, Juraj Schlegl, that he would finish the tower he had started to build. The square, prism-shaped Renaissance tower rose in a time of Ottoman danger as part of the town's defences. From its height watchmen could see far beyond the town boundaries across the plain, and they also had to spot fires and raise the alarm.
Watchmen kept guard here day and night, living on the top floor and announcing the time from the corners of the tower every quarter of an hour. The two bells from 1692 still survive, and guards worked on the tower until the end of the Second World War. Great fires in 1666 and 1683 burned the roof, but the walls held. The tower now carries a Baroque onion-shaped roof with a lantern. At first it was topped by a crescent moon with a star, replaced between 1739 and 1742 by a statue of the Immaculata. A storm blew that figure down, and on 8 September 1791 a new gilded copper statue of the Virgin Mary, life-size, was set up in its place.
In 1729 a mechanical clockwork from the workshop of Franz Langer was installed on the fifth floor. It strikes the hours and quarter-hours and drives several dials. Three weights of about 100 kg hang on a rope some 30 metres long and move in a glazed shaft reaching down to the third floor. The clock is still working, and one clockmaking family has looked after it for generations. Its error is said to be only about 30 seconds in 24 hours.
A new entrance was made in 1818, and above it was placed a sgraffito of Christ with a Latin motto: unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman guards it in vain. The facade was reconstructed in 1938–1941, when the sgraffito was covered with plaster and the statue regilded, and again in 1997–1998. A further restoration of the facades in 2004 gave the tower its original Renaissance look, with diamond-pattern sgraffito on the corners and the top floor. Today the tower houses a tourist information point and an exhibition on the history of the town and its notable figures.
Curiosities about the City Tower in Trnava
- The gilded Madonna on the roof has a face on both sides, because the townspeople feared that she would watch over only the part of the town she was facing.
- When the statue was opened in 1997, documents from the 1930s were found inside it. They were moved to the district archive and replaced with current documents as a message for future generations.
- The clock mechanism of 1729 is driven by three weights of about 100 kg that are raised by hand, and it is said to be off by only about 30 seconds a day.
- In the Baroque period a toilet with a wooden seat and lid was built into one of the walls of the tower.
- The sundial on the third floor, above the fifth clock dial, is the only one in the town.
- The Latin inscription above the 1818 entrance translates as: unless the Lord guards the city, the one who guards it keeps watch in vain.
Tours near City Tower (Trnava)
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the City Tower in Trnava
- The tower stands almost at the heart of the old town, at the north-west corner of the main square, Trojičné námestie, so it is easy to include in a walk through Trnava.
- Inside is a tourist information point, and on the floors of the tower an exhibition covers the history of Trnava, the history of the tower and notable local people.
- The gallery at about 29 metres is open to visitors, and on the way up you can see the clock mechanism; the climb involves well over a hundred steps.
- Check the current opening hours before you go, as the tower is not open at all times.
- Other places on this site within about 25 km include Červený Kameň Castle, Ostrý Kameň Castle and the church and monastery of St Catherine of Alexandria.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where City Tower (Trnava) is
Photos of City Tower (Trnava)
Questions
Where is the City Tower in Trnava?
It stands in the centre of Trnava, at the north-west corner of the main square, Trojičné námestie. Trnava lies north-east of Bratislava.
How old is the City Tower in Trnava?
Construction began in 1574, when the master mason Jakub committed to finishing it. The clock mechanism was added in 1729.
How tall is the City Tower?
The tower is 57 metres high including the statue on top. The viewing gallery is at about 29 metres.
Why does the Madonna on the tower have two faces?
The townspeople feared that the Virgin Mary would watch only over the side of town she faced and turn her back on the rest, so the statue was given a face on both sides.
Does the old clock still work?
Yes. The mechanical clock from 1729, made in the workshop of Franz Langer, still works and is said to deviate by only about 30 seconds in 24 hours.
What can you see inside the tower?
There is a tourist information point, an exhibition on the history of the town and the tower, and a gallery with views. On the way up you can see the clock mechanism.
Also nearby
Leopoldov Prison
Leopoldov · star-shaped Baroque fortress, a prison since 1855
16 km away
Červený Kameň Castle
Častá · Renaissance fortress built by the Fuggers of Augsburg
19 km away
Church and Monastery of St Catherine of Alexandria (Katarínka)
Dechtice · ruined monastery reached only on foot
20 km away
Ostrý Kameň Castle
Buková · ruined fort on the old trade road to Prague
22 km away