Residents of Jihlava, due to the presence near the town of silver mines, never knew the needs. The city flourished for many centuries, being the richest and most prosperous in the Czech Republic. It came from all over Europe adventurers and merchants, usurers, craftsmen, silversmiths. In the city of accumulating specie, and a serious supply of silver. To protect citizens from attacks by hostile neighbors, which, of course, were in Jihlava, located on the border of Moravia and Bohemia, the town Council decided to enclose the residential part of the settlements high walls. Communication with the outside world was through the Gates of the Black Madonna, which was built in the XIII century, and several other towers, destroyed in the past century. This gate has been preserved to our days. They are decorated with the coat of arms, which depicts the hedgehog, which is a symbol of Jihlava.

Since the gate is a tall tower with a Renaissance façade, it is quite logical question: what is inside the tower? Citizens understand that the Gate of the mother of God is a business card of their city, so the tower houses two art exhibitions connected with the city walls.

A six-meter wall was built very solidly, almost unchanged flaunt right in the centre of Jihlava. Walls stretched around the city for three miles. To the city is not exactly his way no enemy spy, the interior walls are surrounded by a deep ditch and was enclosed another strengthening – at least thick and massive. To monitor the surroundings on the first ring of walls were made of a special round turrets. Some of them can be seen today. The remainder of the ditch, reaching 7 meters in depth, there is only one street of the city - Věžní.