If you’ve ever been near the centre of Zagreb at noon, you must’ve flinched at least once at the loud sound of one of Zagreb’s most famous landmarks – the Grič Cannon.
The cannon that fires every day at noon disrupts the commotion of the city and, even if it is only for a moment, serves its original purpose of bringing order to the city – it was intended to be used as a signal to harmonize the bell-ringers from the church towers around the city.
The cannon used today is the fifth of its kind, given as a present to the city by the Yugoslav People’s Army in 1987 World Student Games.
This photo from 1877 shows the first cannon, its designer Đuro Čačković and the first gunman responsible for firing the cannon exactly at noon.
Did you know that the cannon has its own Facebook page? The page publishes a BUM status every day exactly at noon, just like its non-virtual counterpart. Like the page here.
You can read more about the Lotrščak tower here.
Source: Zagreb – Kakav je bio nekada.
