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Powder Tower. Photo by A.Savin.

Top 10 Sensational facts about The Powder Tower

The powder tower is located in Prague, Czech Republic.

It is one of the original city gates that separates the old town’s medieval settlement and the new town which is the youngest and largest of the five independent towns that form the historic center of modern Prague.

The powder tower is one of the most expressive monuments whose name was allocated due to the tower’s function in the 17th Century.

The tower created in 1475 was used to store gunpowder and was also referred to as the Powder gate. Its architectural design is gothic and was renovated in 1876.

The Powder Tower marks the start of the Royal Path to Prague Castle.

The tower is 547 years old and was constructed by builder Václav and later finished by Matěj Rejsek who partly also provided the rich sculptural decorations.

Here are 10 Sensational facts about the powder tower:

1. The gate was used to store gunpowder in the 17th century

Gunpowder is the earliest known chemical explosive that was widely used as a propellant in firearms, artillery, rocketry, and pyrotechnics.

It was first introduced to Europe in 1267 in Roger Bacon’s Opus Majus. The power that consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate has been used as a blasting agent for explosives in quarrying, mining, and road building.

When the tower was completed it was used as a gunpowder storage place during the late 17th and early 18th century

2. The original city gates separate the Old Town from the New Town

The old town of Prague was created around the 9th century. New Town was founded by Charles IV in 1348 just outside the city walls of the Old Town.

The powder is one of the original city gates in the old town. The tower that marks the start of the coronation to Prague castle also played a major part in separating the two towns.

The tower works hand in hand with the Milan Degen boundary between The Old and The New Town. The boundary was approximately along the line of the above streets and squares to form a defense line with the parallel fortification.

3. It is one of the original 13 city gates in Old Town

Powder Tower. Photo by xavi lópez.

The Old town of Prague is a medieval settlement whose early existence has been traced to the 9th century.

Because of trade, the merchants of the area became rich and when King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia toured the town he gave them the privileges of township due to its active market and large military gatherings.

This was how the Town of Prague was formed. The city then built 13 gates around it one of which was the Powder gate Tower. 

The city also had a huge moat connected to the Vltava river at both of its ends providing strong defenses for Prague town.

4. The gate suffered serious damage during the Battle of Prague

The Battle of Prague was fought on 6 May 1757 during the Third Silesian War. Frederick II also referred to as Frederick the Great was a King in Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786.

He had led his military in the Silesian wars that took place in Bohemia.

His 64,000 Prussians forced 60,000 Austrians to retreat, but having lost 14,300 men, decided he was not strong enough to attack Prague.

The powder tower was damaged during this was. The plastic decorations were damaged by the Prussian shooting, and they were later removed in 1817.

A clock was then installed in the tower and later removed in 1823.

In 1876 the tower was finally restored and completed in pseudo-Gothic style by architect Josef Mocker. He also cooperation with significant Bohemian sculptors, such as Bohuslav Schnirch and Ludvík Šimek.

5. The tower was initially created to be an attractive entrance into the city

The Powder tower in Prague. Photo by Texniths.

The powder tower is an enigmatic building that showcases the pseudo-Gothic style.

This gave rise to Prague’s popularity with Gothic cathedrals, medieval squares, incredible bridges, cobblestoned alleys, abundant art scenes, vibrant nightlife, and culinary temptations.

The tower that was created as one of the 13 city gates for the old town was intended to be an attractive entrance into the city.

Its only work was to start of the Royal Path to Prague Castle to highlight the beauty and elegance of the town.

It was turned into a defensive tower to store gunpowder and a fortress during the war in Bohemia which caused damage.

6. Vladislav II placed the foundation stone for the tower

Vladislav II was the King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia. While he ruled Bohemia he was given the honor of placing the foundation stone for the tower.

The tower was founded on the bottom of a fortification moat, approximately 9 m below today’s terrain.

It was built in place of the dilapidated original gate named Horská Gate called Ragged that dated back to the 1st half of the 13th century.

The Powder Gate Tower brought into the town one of the main roads coming from Eastern Bohemia, namely from Kutná Hora.

Later the moat was filled up, and its significance was lost, and therefore the bridge leading to the passage also disappeared.

7. The tower’s architecture was inspired by the work of Peter Parler

Powder Tower. Photo by Thire5.

Peter Parker was a German-Bohemian architect sculptor born and apprenticed in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd.

He was one of the most prominent and influential craftsmen of the Middle Ages.

Peter worked at several important late Medieval building sites, including Strasbourg, Cologne, and Nuremberg.

He lived in Prague the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia after 1356 where he created his most famous works.

He built the St. Vitus Cathedral the Neo-Gothic Church and the Charles Bridge. His work inspired the architecture of the Powder tower’s gothic style.

8. Vladislav II was given the tower as a coronation gift by the city council

The powder tower that was then called the new tower was gifted to Vladislav II the King of Bohemia as a coronation gift.

The city council which was the legislative body of Prague gifted the King the tower as a token.

The tower which marks the start of the Royal Path to Prague Castle was gifted to the King of Bohemia to honor his rule and power

9. The tower temporarily stopped building when Vladislav relocated

Vladislav II relocated due to riots that had broken out in Prague.

The civil disorder in Prague is characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people who caused havoc.

When Vladislav II relocated the tower building ceased temporarily. The building continued after his return in 1485 to live back in Prague Castle.

He lived there for the rest of his life, along with the rest of the Kings of Bohemia who lived in Prague.

10. The tower was used for coronation ceremonies

View of Powder Tower. Photo by Txllxt TxllxT.

The tower was used for coronation ceremonies in 1836.

Relocated Kings did not use the tower or Royal Court until the beginning of that year. 

The Kings would pass through the tower to go to St. Vitus Cathedral for the ceremony.