The Dömötör tower is the oldest building in Szeged. The foundation was most probably laid during the 11th century, while the lower part was built (in Romanesque style) from the 12th century, and the upper part (Gothic style) from the 13th century. The tower was once part of the former St. Demetrius church, but today it stands in Dóm Square, in front of the much larger Votive Church of Szeged. The upper part was rebuilt from the original stones in 1926. The architecture of the tower is similar to another found in Southern France, or in the territory of the former Byzantine Empire.
On the upper part, there are 48 pointed windows in three levels (sixteen on each level, two on every side of the octagonal levels). On the lower part, a gate was cut and turned to a baptismal chapel in 1931.
Inside the tower, there is a fresco by Vilmos Aba-Novák of the baptism of Hungarians in the 11th century. Due to the mould growing on the rear wall, the baptismal chapel is no longer in use.
The tower's 'Gate of Life' was made by János Bille in 1931 and explains a Christian life through symbols. At the top and at the bottom, there are two numbers: 1272 and 1931. The former was thought to represent the year in which the upper part was built, while 1931 is when it was turned to a baptismal chapel.
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Střekov Castle (Schreckenstein) is perched atop a cliff above the River Elbe, near the city of Ústí nad Labem. It was built in 1316 for John of Luxembourg, the father of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, to guard an important trade route to Germany. After changing hands several times, the castle was acquired by the Lobkowicz family in 1563. Its strategic importance led to occupations by Imperial Habsburg, Saxon, and Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War, as well as successive sieges by Austrian and Prussian armies during the Seven Years' War.
Although Střekov Castle was heavily damaged during those conflicts and abandoned as a military installation by the end of the 18th century, the 1800s saw many poets and artists visiting the castle, drawn by a new trend of interest in romantic ruins.