TOWERS AND FORTRESSES - ST. NICHOLAS’ FORTRESS/ŠIBENIK, 16TH CENTURY

ST. NICHOLAS’ FORTRESS NEAR ŠIBENIK Its geographical position has given Šibenik a very significant military and strategic role on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. The city walls, towers and fortresses played an essential role in the defence system of the city. They are still the best preserved examples of the fortification constructive work in Croatia. The city of Šibenik is surrounded by four fortresses: St. Nicholas’, St. Michael’s (known among the people as St. Anne’s), St. John’s and the Šubićevac fortress. St. John’s fortress and the Šubićevac fortress were built at the time of the Candian wars (the time of the Ottoman invasion on the island of Crete, then called Candia). The starting point of the city walls was St. Michael’s fortress. The walls, together with the towers and the principal mainland gate that used to surround the city from the northern and south-eastern side, were removed in 1864. Only fragments of them remain up to the present times. The double city wall, descending from St. Michael’s fortress along the steep slope down to the coast (called Kvartir) has been partially preserved. The western walls of Dolac with the city gates were built in the 15th century with the aim of protecting Dolac from the Turkish attacks. The city of Šibenik was first defended from the sea by two fortresses that were eventually destroyed in 1504. This is why a maritime fortress was built at the entrance to St. Anthony’s channel – St. Nicholas’ fortress, in order to offer protection to the port of Šibenik against the possible danger from the Turks coming from the sea. It was built in the period between 1535 and 1550 by Gian Girolamo Sanmicheli, according to the design of the Venetian military architect Michele Sanmicheli. By the way it was built and by its Renaissance shape, it is one of the most outstanding Renaissance fortresses and one of the strongest maritime fortifications on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic. It played an important role in the defence of Šibenik against the Turks, particularly during the Cyprus and Candian wars. This is also the reason other medieval walls turned toward the sea have not additionally been developed. The fortress is triangular in its ground-plan. The lower part was built from white stone, the upper part from bricks. An impressive detail of this Renaissance fortification from Šibenik is the main entrance portal on the north-eastern side. At the time of the Venetian rule, the fortress had been expanded, but only two ornamental stone crowns of the well from the 17th century were preserved.