Powder Tower, Medieval fortified tower in Old Town, Czech Republic.
The Powder Tower is a 65-metre late Gothic gate at the corner of Na Příkopě Street and Republic Square, beside the Municipal House. Its sandstone ashlar walls rise from foundations sunk nine metres into slate bedrock, and the passage is 6.36 metres wide under a ribbed net vault. Josef Mocker's 1878–1886 rebuild gave it the steep roof with four corner turrets and the row of blind arcades.
Construction began in 1475 under master mason Václav, soon replaced by Matyáš Rejsek of Prostějov, on the site of the decayed Mountain Gate. The gate, first called the New Gate, was founded about nine metres below today's ground level and stood 42 metres high. Work stopped after Vladislaus II moved to Prague Castle in 1483, and the tower was only finished in 1878–1886 by Josef Mocker.
The facade statues pair each ruler with the coats of arms of the lands he governed: Charles IV with the Empire and Luxembourg, Přemysl Otakar II with Bohemia and Austria, George of Poděbrady with Bohemia and Silesia, Vladislav II with Bohemia and Moravia. Small comic figures, animals and angels are carved on the corbels and archivolts.
Visitors climb 186 stone steps to reach an observation gallery at about 44 meters, which offers views over Old Town Prague. Hours of operation vary with the seasons, so it helps to check before planning your visit.
Despite the name, the tower never held gunpowder: the Czech sources record that from about the mid-18th century it served as a gunpowder warehouse, yet the English account states it was never used to store gunpowder. Look for the small comic figures, animal motifs and angels carved on the corbels and archivolts beside the royal statues.
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