City loggia and clock

You are standing in front of the Clock Tower, one of the buildings that the people of Trogir have used and looked at every day for centuries. At first glance, it seems simple, but behind it lies a story of time. The tower is actually the remains of the former bell tower of the Church of St. Sebastian, built in 1476, at the height of the plague epidemic, as a votive act of people seeking protection. The church in its original form no longer exists, but the tower remained and was given a new purpose. In the 15th century, it was converted into a clock tower, which lost its original sacral function, but gained an important role in the everyday life of the city. It no longer called for prayer, but showed the exact time - something that was then becoming crucial for organized city life. The tower is located right next to the City Loggia, a space where decisions were made, trials were held and gatherings were held. This proximity was not accidental - the clock determined when public debates began, when councilors gathered, when the turn came. A dial is placed on the facade, while inside is a winding and driving mechanism, which has been restored several times over the centuries, but has never lost its basic function. The clock was not an ornament. Its purpose was clear, concrete and useful – to provide orientation in a time when clocks were still a rarity. Even today, although it is no longer the only source of accurate time, the clock still works. The mechanism is regularly maintained, and the tower has not lost its significance as a landmark – not only in a spatial, but also in a symbolic sense.