History
The watchtower was built in 1564 – 1571 to protect the city of Krupina and Banská Štiavnica against Turkish invasions. It belonged to the signaling and defense system of central Slovakia. The remaining towers were located, among others, in the Čabraď castle, the Sitno castle, near Banská Štiavnica, Zvolen, Banská Bystrica, and the village of Ľubietová. In later times it also informed about the movements of the insurgent and imperial troops. In 1663, the tower was captured by the Turks, but already in 1685 it was recaptured by the army of Charles Alexander of Lorraine. It was used until the beginning of the 18th century, then it was abandoned. In the 1960s, it was renewed.
Architecture
The tower is 13 meters high and stands on a hill overlooking Krupina. The observation was facilitated by a timber porch running around its top floor, mounted on massive stone corbels. The entrance to the tower was in the upper part and was originally accessible via a wooden ladder. In addition, the only openings were narrow slits illuminating the penultimate storey.
Current state
Among the few existing watchtowers from the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance located in Slovakia, the Vartovka Tower is the only one that has been fully preserved in its original state. In recent years, its timber porch has been reconstructed and the monument has been opened to the public.
bibliografia:
Wasielewski A., Zamki i zamczyska Słowacji, Białystok 2008.