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Originally a Gothic prismatic campanile with a pyramidal roof dating back to the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. A marble tablet above the entrance to the bell tower reminds us of the modification the tower was subjected to in 1628, when a pyramidal roof was constructed. The bell, which was installed in the tower (its weight equals to 7 tones), was dedicated to St. Urban, the patron of wine-prowers, which was cast in a mould by the bell founder Frantisek Illenfeld of Olomouc in 1557. In 1775 the tower underwent further reconstruction, when a pyramidal roof was constructed with annion in the Baroque style with an iron cross preserved to this day. In the early 19th century the tower was completed with an Empire roof and small shops were built around it. |  |
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In the years 1911-1912, 1943-1944 and in 1947 an arcade was constructed around the Tower. 36 tombstones dating from the 14thcentury (one of these tombstones is Roman dating from the 4th century) to the 17th century were put into the outer walls of the Tower.In 1966 the Tower was damaged by fire, which destroyed the roofing and the bells. In the years 1967-1971 the Tower was subjected to restoration and renovation. The East Slovakian Museum set up an impressive exhibition of ironwork. Regrettably, this was removed in 1995. |
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| Urban's Tower surroundings at the break of 19th and 20th century | ||||
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 "bread market" around the tower |
 tower's guard |
/place: Main Street/
MAP of the historical City centre
/© Photo: (1) Zdenko Lipták, (2) Adolf Materna, (3) Alexander Jiroušek/
/(4) Historical photographs from collection of the East Slovakian Museum/
/(5,6) Historical photographs from book KOŠICE 1780-1918/
/(7,8) Historical postcards from the private collection of Mr. František Máday/
