Among all Sighisoara's towers, the Clock Tower is the most
impressive and the most picturesque. Its role was to be the main gate into the citadel and to
house the town's council. It was built in the second half of the 14th century and expanded to 64m height
in the 16th century. After a big fire in 1676 (when the town's gunpowder deposits exploded) the roof of
the tower was restored to the present Baroque shape, and in 1894 the colourful tiles were added. The four
small corner turrets (also seen in other Transylvanian towns) symbolize the fact that the town had judicial
autonomy, and the "right of sword" (ius gladii) which was the right to decide on capital punishment. The clock
was installed in the 17th century (my next tip talks about the clock in more detail). The tower houses the
town's History Museum which describes the Sighisoara's old life. The museum is spread on five levels; make
your way to the wooden balcony at the top of the tower where you can look out over the town with its terra-cotta
roofs and painted houses. On the way to the balcony one can also see the clock mechanism.
