On the edge of the platform in front of the Ljubljana Castle, at the end of a short avenue lined with chestnut trees, there is a hut that the shelters a castle well with a walking drive wheel.
While rearrange the castle into a penitentiary at the beginning of the 19th Century, a new access to the south-eastern corner of the castle was built. Part of the construction was filling in the old moat, so they began to dig out the hill and discovered the old well.
Two prisoners were assigned the task of cleaning out the well, and were promised their freedom if they managed to dig down to water. It took 18 years. On 1915, the shaft was measured, 1.5m diameter, and a depth of 50m. Drawing water from such a depth was difficult, so alongside the winch, a drive wheel was erected into which people could enter, so as to move the wheel with their body weight.
It is not entirely clear whether the hut above the well was already standing, and they simply renovated the walls and put on a roof, or everything was constructed from scratch. Principles of using a wheel and drive to lift a load date back to the Middle Ages at ports and building sites. While excavating the well, Roman artefacts were found. It is difficult to determine how far back in the past the well was constructed.
No comments:
Post a Comment