The “White Tower“

A landmark of Brixen, the impressive tower of St. Michael parish church reaches out among the roofs of the Old Town church and can be seen from afar. At 71 metres, it is the tallest building of the town. The top of the tower used to accommodate a fire watch chamber, which provided the fire guard with an excellent view to spot any potential danger. Built at around 1300, the former bell tower was devastated during the great fire of 1444. When a taller tower was built along gothic lines in 1459, it became commonly known as “black tower.” Its pointed roof was painted with whitewash at the end of the 16th century, and it has been known by its modern name ever since. A copper layer known as “Schwarze Kappe” was added later; this was however taken off when all metal was collected for war purposes in 1918 and later replaced by a layer of tin plate. The museum inside the tower traces its importance throughout history.

Interesting detail

The remarkable oriel windows were used as lookout windows by the fire brigade and have inspired similar buildings in the area. A political party named after the landmark tower was formed in 1956 and challenged the dominant SVP party for a period of time.