11. Fountains in the square (upper and lower)

The sloping square in Vimperk is graced by two fountains in its centre. In winter they may disappear in the white embrace of snow, in summer they provide a convenient place of rest for tourists who sit on them, planning further sightseeing tours of the town or in the surrounding area. Both of the fountains are square-shaped, made of granite slabs, with a simple cornice, and their present shape dates from the 18th century. The upper one has a 19th-century life-sized sandstone statue of St. Florian standing on a four-sided prism in its centre. It represents the conventional picture of the saint, with a standard, looking out over the town to the Volyňka River valley. The original statue on the lower fountain was lost and was replaced in 2005 with a concrete sculpture portraying Our Lady the Immaculate.

Both fountains have been referred to in written records since the 16th century, often in connection with the special profession of “water-carriers” – labourers who filled the fountains with water from the town water conduit. Originally there were three fountains, all of them wooden as late as the 17th century, connected with wooden piping. Another conduit supplied water to the town hall and to separate houses in the square. The water supply was taken care of by special workers, the predecessors of modern water engineers.