1568 - Valdická brána / Valdice Gate - Jicín (East Bohemia) - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

Construction of the Renaissance Valdice Gate (Valdická brána), the symbol of the town Jicín and its from a far visible historic lanmdmark, began in 1568 as is engraved in the wall above its eastern portal close to the town coat of arms.

The Valdice Gate was originally one of three towers that were part of Jicín fortification. The construction began on the orders of the owners of Jicín, the aristocratic family Trcek of Lípa, in 1568, but as evidenced by pieces of masonry, the remains of an older Gothic gate from the end of the 14th century were used in the construction. The gate burned down in 1589 and was then raised by a third floor. The passage, formed by a late Gothic cross vault with double ribs, today connects Valdštejn (Wallenstein) and Žižka squares. In the plans of the Italian architects, invited to Jicín by Albrecht of Wallenstein, the gate was due to the widening of the square destined for demolition, but thanks's to the Wallenstein's assassination in 1634 it never took place. After the fire of 1678, the fourth floor was rebuilt. A new floor with a gallery was completed according to the design of the local architect Josef Oppolzer in 1840. During this reconstruction, a well-known pyramidal roof was also built.

The tower is 52 m high and after climbing 156 steps there is a view from the observation deck at a height of 32 m. The gate is in good condition, is open to the public and often hosts exhibitions or theater performances. With good visibility, you can see a wide area from this only preserved part of the medieval fortifications of the town of Jicín.

Source: excerpted and translated from Wikipedia and National Heritage Institute portal.

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