The sundial in Moravská Třebová is one of the oldest in the country

Moravská Třebová (Svitavy) - Their appearance resembles more of a stone speaker's podium. Only upon a closer look is it evident that they are sundials. Moravská Třebová in Svitavy boasts a Renaissance unique artifact. The sundials are among the oldest in the country. The year indicated on them is 1558.
    "The clocks are unique in their execution. They have been included in the list of immovable monuments as a unique example of podium-type clocks. They are made of local sandstone. The oldest clocks are considered to be the two clocks in Telč located on the pillars of the Church of St. James. Their origin is estimated to be around the year 1450," said Miloš Nosek to ČTK, who has been dealing with sundials for 21 years.
    The history of the Moravská Třebová clocks is quite eventful and by chance, they did not remain hidden from the public forever. They likely underwent their first renovation in 1763, as indicated by the date on their northern side. After that, it seems that no one cared for their appearance and they even became part of the wall, covered by plaster. They were rediscovered and possibly restored only in 1916, and their place was then given a new square pedestal in the park in front of the museum.
    In the 1990s, they again faced misfortune. During unprofessional tree cutting, a tree damaged them and the clocks had to go into storage, where they waited for repairs until 2004. According to Nosek, the museum was supposed to replace the original with a replica and protect the Renaissance clocks from weather effects and other accidents inside the building.
    Today, they stand in the courtyard of the Moravská Třebová castle. The rods that indicate the time have already been broken by vandals. According to the deputy director of the Cultural Services of the town, Jindřich Kos, it would be more appropriate to equip the sundials with rods made of more flexible material to withstand mishandling by visitors, he told ČTK.
    After restoration, the once colorful lines on the sandstone were replaced with black. The information board standing right next to it explains to visitors the function of each dial and the meaning of individual lines on the multiple dials. Vertical clocks are on all four walls, with two on the southern side. The upper clocks contain three systems of time measurement.
    "Thanks to the information on the board, the operating principle of each clock is clear, and the meaning of the lines is just as clear as it was with their multicolored execution," said Nosek.
    For those interested in gnomonics, the science of sundials, the Czech Republic offers many places to study. Sundials can be found in about 3000 locations, and the expert catalog lists 222 in the Pardubice region, although some have already disappeared and others are not functional. Preserved examples can be found, for instance, on the deanery building in Choceň, on the church in the village of Kočí and Ostřetín, or in the castle in Letohrad.
    The largest, measuring five meters in diameter, are located at the castle in Litomyšl and on Gorkého Street in Pardubice. In contrast, the smallest sundial with a diameter of a quarter meter used to be in the castle park in Žamberk. The highest sundials are located on the church in Heřmanův Městec at Peace Square (16 meters).