Zvonice (Vyskytná) Belfry

The wooden bell tower in the village Vyskytná in the district of Pelhřimov is a free standing two-storey building, which is registered as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Located southwest of the Church of the Virgin Mary and falls into the Roman Catholic parish Vyskytná.

The exact date of creation of this building could not be established, historical data suggest a period from the 13th century or later. It is assumed that the reconstruction took place in the 17th century, from which comes the bell stool, or in the second half of the 18th century.

Architecturally, the bell tower is built on a high stone suspect of a square floor plan, which is built from a valley wall laid dry. The wooden construction is stenary with inserted lifting structure. The outer mantle is divided into two floors and is equipped with wooden planks. The whole object is culminated by a needle roof with shingles cover, which ends with a poppy and cross. The bell tower can be accessed through a wooden portal.

The history of bells associated with this monument is rich and includes several recorders during world wars. In the past, three bells were hung on the stool. These included the oldest bell from 1484, which was recited in 1917, and the smaller bell from 1764. This smaller piece with a diameter of 0.60 m had the relief of Christ on the cross and the Virgin Mary the Painful. The bell tower Antonín Pegl, who settled in České Budějovice, billed it in 1764. There are currently two bells in the bell tower. The first is the bell of St. Prokop from 1555, high 0.80 m with a diameter of one meter. On his mantle is the relief of the Holy Prokop and Nicholas, and there are two inscriptions, one of which states that the bell was made so that people would know when to meet at the word of God, and the other states that it was done to honor and praise the Lord God and to remind the Holy Prokop. This bell has been electric since 1999. The second is the 1952 Maria bell, which serves as a dying man and only rings when citizens die. There's a sign on his coat, "Help the Christians, pray for us.".

In recent years, the monument has been carefully restored. In the years 2010- 2011, a complete reconstruction took place worth approximately CZK 570,000, to which the parish, village and region of Vysočina contributed. In 2021, a complete coating was carried out on the construction with the re-financial support of the region.

The building is also associated with a local reputation of a spade that found a bell in the stream. After his establishment in the bell tower, the people of Jihlava envied him and tried to steal him. According to the story, however, the bell after hanging in the tower at St James's, disappeared and flew back to Výstný, where it sounded again.

The bell tower represents a rare example of preserved wooden sacral architecture. It is an important historical point of the village and is worth visiting interest in history and traditional crafts.