Zvonička (Litice nad Orlicí) Belfry

Welcome to the Litics of the Eagle. Stop for a moment right here in this quiet place where the road to the castle begins. In front of you now stands an inconspicuous but very rare building that carries stories of centuries. Look at this tiny wooden tower. It's a so-called stinger bell, which means that its structure rests on vertical columns. Although it may seem modest at first glance, it is essentially a small piece of history that survived the time when the world around it was changing dramatically.

When you look at it now, you realize that this building comes from about the third third period of the eighteenth century. So imagine the time when the landscape was completely different, the roads were just dusty trails and the life in the castle floor of Litice was closely linked to the rhythm of nature and parochial life in nearby German Rybny. This bell was not created here for beauty or landscape decoration. Its origin was very practical and rather urgent. At that time, the greatest enemy of villages and cities was fire. Wooden houses, straw roofs and an open fireplace meant that one small fire could destroy the entire village within hours. That is why this bell tower was built as a period fire-fighting measure. The bell placed in it served as a warning system. When someone saw the smoke or the flames, they rang and the whole area within the parish knew they had to run out of water and help the neighbors.

Now pay attention to her appearance and architecture. Notice her coat, which is boarded. This means that the structural elements are covered with wooden boards which form a protective cover around the inner structure. This element is very rare in our region. Only three representatives of this type of architecture with a shaded coat have been preserved throughout the area today, and this lithic bell tower is one of them. It is a fascinating example of rural construction, where functionality is combined with simple aesthetics. See how the wood grew older and how the building adapted to the background. He's a silent witness for centuries who reminds us of how the safety of the people was previously addressed.

When we think about the history of this tower, we have to stop at several key moments that accompanied it. The first one returns us to the year one thousand eight hundred eighty-three. It was this year that the bell tower appeared in the book of Augustus Sedláček, which was an important historian and explorer. The fact that she was depicted in his work today allows us to confirm her form and existence at that time. It's fascinating how one illustration in the book can help today's monuments understand how the building looked over a century ago.

However, the history of this bell tower is not just about peace and tradition. One thousand nine hundred seventeen, the time of the First World War. At that time something sad happened that happened in many villages throughout the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The Austrian authorities decided that blacksmiths were needed at the front at the time of the war, rather than in small villages. Therefore the bell was removed from the bell so that it could be melted and used for war purposes. Imagine the void that was created in this tower at that time. The bell that was supposed to warn against danger and unite people lost its voice because of a distant conflict.

This condition lasted several decades, until the year came a thousand nine hundred forty-nine. After World War II, there was an extensive reconstruction to restore its formal fame and stability to the bell tower. The work was difficult, but the result was a renewal of the construction which was then ceremoniously handed over to the public on the first May of that year. It was a period of hope and recovery when people tried to repair what war and time destroyed.

Now I want to impress you with one interesting thing, which connects this little wooden tower with the tallest willows of that power. It is very likely that the formation of this bell tower was not random, but it was a reaction to a particular law. In a thousand and seven hundred and fifty-one, Empress Marie Theresa issued a so-called fire patent. It was a strict set of rules to improve fire protection in the empire. The Empress wanted every community to have an early warning system. And it was this royal decree that probably led the builders to build this stoner tower here in Littice. It is fascinating to think that one signed charter in the Prague or Vienna Palace has led to this particular wooden building being created here in the substation, which is still here today.

The proof of its value is that in the year two thousand seventeen the bell tower was entered in the catalogue of the National Heritage Institute. This step has been recognised as an important cultural monument to be protected for future generations. It's not just a piece of old wood, but documentation of human efforts, fear of fire and desire for safety.

Now, if you look at this little tower for the last time, feel its atmosphere. He stands here as the guardian of the road, which will now lead you above. It's a symbol of modesty and perseverance. While the castle upstairs represented power, wealth and strategy, this bell tower represented ordinary people, their daily worries and mutual assistance in need.

Now invited to the next part of your journey. Leave this silent memory behind and head up to the castle of Litice. Watch the surrounding landscape and think about how many similar little stories there are in forgotten corners in this country. I hope this brief pit stop has helped you feel the spirit of this place more. I wish you a pleasant walk and discover other secrets of the lithic suborb and castle. Goodbye.