The White Tower was built at the same time as the Black Tower - in 1135. Only the Black Tower guarded the eastern entrance to the fortress, while the White Tower guarded the western one, and now it is hidden behind the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Prague Castle.
The White Tower came to be called that because of the building material, which was almost snow-white - Bila Hora marl. During the great fire that occurred in 1541, that tower partially burned down, and another one was built in its place - a round tower.
For many centuries there was a prison here. It held representatives of the upper estate: aristocrats and preachers. It is said that this was exactly where the alchemist Edward Kelley served his sentence, claiming that he knew how to turn base metal into gold, as well as communicate with spirits by summoning them into a crystal ball.
Another famous prisoner of the White Tower was Katerina Bechinova, who brutally killed 14 people, mostly young girls. She did not live to see her execution, dying of hunger, cold, and dampness.
The chamberlain of Rudolf II, Philip Lang, was also imprisoned in this tower. His detention in 1608 became a real sensation of that time. The advisor was accused of embezzling the royal treasury and sentenced to life imprisonment. His successor, incidentally, also later ended up in this prison.
The White Tower became the final resting place for many prisoners. The prison remained there until 1743, when Maria Theresa came to power.
