Dolní zvonice v Benešově, Bell tower in Benešov, Czech Republic.
The Dolní zvonice is a separate masonry tower in the lower part of Na Karlově street in Benešov, near the ruins of the Minorite monastery church. Its present stone form dates from 1834, replacing an earlier wooden bell tower recorded in 1627 and drawn on a town plan of 1680. It hangs a single Gothic bell, the Ave Maria of 1322.
A wooden bell tower stood here by 1627, documented in writing and drawn on the town plan of 1680; it occupied the site of the old provost's residence (vetus praepositum). The present masonry tower dates from 1834. Its Gothic bell Ave Maria was cast by Master Rudger in 1322, probably in the workshops of Břevnov Monastery, and is among the oldest bells in Bohemia.
The bell tower shapes the identity of the town center and connects residents to shared rhythms through its regular tolling. Its bells mark celebrations and ordinary moments alike, linking people to customs that have endured across generations.
The tower stands in the lower part of Na Karlově street, next to the ruin of the Minorite monastery church, east of the Horní zvonice on the same street. It is not normally open to the public, so the exterior is what visitors see; the bell is rung on important occasions.
The tower holds a single Gothic bell, the Ave Maria, cast in 1322 by Master Rudger, probably in the workshops of Břevnov Monastery. It ranks among the oldest bells in Bohemia and is rung only on major occasions. The tower itself is not normally open to the public.
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