Water tower in Pasym, Historic water tower in Pasym, Poland
The Water Tower in Pasym is a round brick structure from the late 18th century, located near the center of town. Its outer surface displays clear brickwork decorated with motifs such as ox skulls and fruit garlands, elements drawn from ancient Roman funerary design.
The tower was built in the late 18th century as part of a water supply system for the town, and in 1777 it received an outer brick shell. In 1823, architect Chrystian Piotr Aigner redesigned its exterior, taking inspiration from the ancient Roman tomb of Caecilia Metella.
The tower is known locally by the nicknames 'Baszta' and 'Okrąglak', both referring to its round, fortress-like shape. These names have stayed with the building over generations and reflect how people in Pasym have always seen it as part of their everyday surroundings.
The tower sits near the center of Pasym and is easy to spot on foot while walking through town. A visit works best during daylight hours, when the decorative details on the facade are clearly visible.
Aigner, the architect behind the 1823 redesign, also worked on the facade of St. Anne's Church in Warsaw and later spent his final years in Florence. Another building in Poland, the kitchen of the Królikarnia palace, shares the same Roman tomb as its model, suggesting that dressing up service buildings in classical forms was a deliberate practice at the time.
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