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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Historic Town Hall Tower (Stara radnica) in Bratislava, Slovakia, is located in the heart of Old Town.
In 1373, the tower was built as part of the house of Mayor Jakub. After he died, the city acquired the property, and it became the municipal tower. Over time, the city acquired the neighboring houses and joined them together to form City Hall. Then, in the16th century, an arcaded courtyard was added to the city complex. The complex now houses the Bratislava City Museum, which contains the Museum of City History, Apponyi Palace, and Old Town Hall Tower.
There are two arched entrances into the Old Town Hall Courtyard (Nadvorie Starej radnice), where the ticket office is located and where various historical items are on display. Along three sides of the courtyard, there is a balcony accessible to the public.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A stone relief of the historic Bratislava coat of arms is on display at City Hall, and the most important feature is the three-towered structure above the shield. It represents a fortified medieval city with a central gate and three towers. The design is not of Bratislava; it is just symbolic of a fortified medieval city with a central gate and three towers. Bratislava has used this coat of arms design since 1436, when King Sigismund of Luxembourg granted the city the right to design and use its own coat of arms.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A historic plaque in the courtyard commemorates Leopold Karl von Kollonich (1631-1707), a powerful Catholic churchman and statesman in the Habsburg monarchy. He became Archbishop of Esztergom in 1695 and Primate of Hungary, the highest-ranking Catholic prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Latin inscription above the coat of arms in English reads: "The coat of arms of Count Kollonich, Archbishop of Esztergom, from the castle at Levar." In 1868, the museum started collecting historical items and coats of arms, and today the collection contains over 140,000 objects.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Floris (Florian) Romer (1815-1889) was a Bratislava-born priest, professor, historian, naturalist, and pioneering archaeologist. He entered the Benedictine order and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1838. He later taught natural history and became a professor at the Royal Academy in Bratislava, where he became one of the pioneers of modern archaeology. In 1868, he helped create the Bratislava City Museum.
Also on display was a medieval stone gargoyle in the shape of a crouching lion. The original function was as a rainwater gutter, channeling water through the sculpture and discharging it through the gargoyle's mouth to divert it away from the building.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Old Town Hall and Apponyi Palace exhibits tend to run together, so the following pictures may not be in the correct sequence.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Most of the towers we climbed had narrow steps with rope handrails, which helped with balance because the wall often tipped inward over the stairs.
Holes were cut in the upper floors of the tower for a rope so that the bells could be rung without going up to the belfry.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Frantiskanske namestie (Franciscan Square) is located in front of the Old Town Tower and features several statues and monuments.
The Marian Column was erected on the square in 1675 by Emperor Leopold I, King of Hungary, to honor the Virgin Mary and serve as a symbol of Habsburg Catholic authority. At the top of the column is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. In 1741, Maria Theresa stopped at the column and prayed to the Virgin Mary; she is the only crowned monarch to have done so.
In 1857, the first gas lamppost was installed on the square, and in 1860, a clock with a glass face illuminated by gas light was mounted on the tower. The gas was supplied by the municipal gas works free of charge.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Also located in Franciscan Square is the Nymph Fountain, a statue of a woman pouring water from a pitcher. The original fountain was installed in 1804, but in 1998 it was placed in the City Museum and replaced with a copy.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Maximilian Fountain, also known as Toland's Fountain, is located in Hlavne namestie (Main Square), the central historic square of Old Town. It was constructed by Maximilian II, King of Hungary, in 1572 and is the oldest surviving fountain in Bratislava. The figure at the top of the fountain is believed to be Roland, the legendary medieval knight who symbolized the protection of a city's rights and privileges. However, some scholars believe that the armored figure actually represents King Maximilian II himself.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
I had my picture taken with Napoleon Bonaparte outside of the French Embassy in the Main Square, but I later found out that it wasn't Napoleon. The sculpture depicts a generic Napoleonic soldier wearing a military coat and a bicorne hat. It is in front of the French Embassy to recognize Napoleon's military presence in Bratislava when French troops occupied the city following Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz in 1805. There is also a popular Bratislava legend that one of Napoleon's soldiers fell in love with a local woman, remained in the city, and started making wine. His supposed name was Hubert, linking the story to Slovakia's well-known Hebert Sparkling Wine.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Also located in Hlavne namestie (Main Square) is a whimsical statue of Schöne Naci standing in front of Café Mayer, smiling, leaning toward passersby, tipping his top hat, and greeting people as they walk by. Schöne Naci was a real person, Ignac Lamar (1897-1967), who was famous for strolling through Old Town dressed in a tailcoat and top hat. He was known for his exceptionally courteous manner, particularly toward women, whom he would greet by tipping his hat or removing it and saying "I kiss your hand" in Slovak, German, or Hungarian. He became a local celebrity who lived modestly and frequented Café Mayer.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Not far from Schöne Naci is Cumil, a bronze sculpture titled "Man at Work" or "The Watcher". Cumil is emerging from a manhole, resting his chin and arms on the street, watching people pass by. The sculptor said that Cumil does not represent a specific historical person, but he is an anonymous Bratislava character meant to convey relaxation, humor, and good spirits. His headwear is a rolled-up cap rather than a military helmet. Legend has it that if you rub his cap, you will receive good luck. We rubbed it twice!
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The decorative circular stone paving on Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav Square) was installed in 2002 and is based on historical documents mentioning a circular mosaic in the pavement in front of the historic Slovak National Theatre. There is symbolism in the design, where the designers used wavelike patterns to evoke the Danube River's waves.
The Slovak National Theatre was designed by Viennese theatre architects and built in 1886. At the top of the building is a large sculptural group associated with Thalia, the Muse of Comedy and pastoral poetry. Putti, the small childlike figures, represent the two traditional faces of theatre, and there are five portrait busts honoring figures of European literature and music: Goethe, Shakespeare, Mozart, Liszt, and Jozsef Katona.
Ganymede's Fountain in front of the Slovak National Theatre was created in 1888, two years after the theatre opened. It was Bratislava's first public fountain created purely for decoration, rather than primarily to provide drinking water.
At the top of the fountain is Ganymede, a beautiful young woman from Greek mythology. According to the myth, Zeus sent an eagle to carry Ganymede to Mount Olympus, where she became a cupbearer to the gods, symbolizing youth and immortality.
At the base of the fountain are children holding four species of fish found in the Danube River - Carp, Catfish, Pike, and Pikeperch.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Vitazstvo (Victory Monument) is located in Eugen Suchon Square, near the Slovak National Theatre. It commemorates the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945 at the end of World War II. The female figure represents Victory, holding an olive branch, the traditional symbol of peace.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
