Leaning Tower of Toruń
| Leaning Tower of Toruń | |
|---|---|
Krzywa Wieża w Toruniu | |
Red brick |
The Leaning Tower of Toruń is a medieval tower in Toruń, Poland. It is known as a leaning tower because the top of the tower is displaced 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) from where it would be if the tower were perfectly vertical. Located on Pod Krzywą Wieżą street, it is one of the most important landmarks in Toruń's Old Town. As part of the Medieval Town of Toruń it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Historic Monument of Poland.[1]
History
The Leaning Tower of Toruń was built in the 13th century in order to defend the town. It was built of red brick. It started leaning because it was built on
pitched roof. A souvenir shop and a café used to be located in the tower in the 1970s and 80s, and now it houses the Toruń Cultural Department.[3]
Legends
Some legends are associated with the Leaning Tower of Toruń, which are narrated by tour guides to visitors:
- The sin of the Teutonic Knight: In the tower, there lived 12 knights of the Order of Teutonic Knights, who were forbidden to meet with women. However, one monk fell in love with the daughter of a rich merchant, and met her in secret, thus breaking the monastic rule of the Order. The residents of the town discovered this and reported them to the commander and the city authorities. Both lovers were fined, the woman was sentenced to 25 lashes, and the knight was ordered to build a tower. However, the tower had to be tilted, in the same way as his conduct had deviated from the monastic rule. To this day, legend has it that those who have sinned are not able to keep their balance under the tower.[4]
- Origin of the name of the city: According to another legend, the tower was a friend of the river Wisła, and loved listening to interesting stories told by the river. With time, the river started getting closer to the tower and eroding its walls, and the tower started leaning. The tower pleaded with the river to not flow so close to it, because it might fall down, but the river said, "So fall down, then!". The river's cries were heard by wanderers who wondered what was the city with high walls that they could see on the horizon, and they called the city Toruń (which means "So fall down, then!", in Polish).[5][6]
See also
References
- ^ Zarządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 8 września 1994 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii., M.P. z 1994 r. Nr 50, poz. 422
- ^ "Krzywa Wieża symbolem grzechu". Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "Website of the Leaning Tower of Toruń" (in Polish). Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ "Krzywa Wieża". Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Polska pełna uroku [Poland, full of charm] (in Polish). Petit Futé. 2007. p. 508.
- Lysakowska, Anna (March 31, 2014). "Torun – Where Astronomy Began". acoupletravelers.com. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leaning Tower in Toruń.