St. Nicholas Fortress
Encyclopedia
St. Nicholas Fortress is a fortress located in the town of Šibenik
, one of the oldest native Croatian
towns on the eastern shores of the Adriatic, in central Dalmatia
, Croatia
.
Only St. Nicholas Fortress is at sea, at the entrance of Šibenik port, and the others three are on land.
St. Nicholas Fortress was built on the left side at the entrance of the St. Anthony
(Sv. Ante) channel, on the island called Ljuljevac, in front of the Šibenik port. St. Nicholas Fortress got its name from the Benedictine
Monastery of St. Nicholas, which was on the island, but due to construction of the fortress had to be demolished. At the request of domestic Croat population of Šibenik, the Venetian
captain Alojzije de Canal decided to build a fort on an island of Ljuljevac in 30 April of 1525. Fortress was designed and built by the famous Venetian architect
and builder Hyeronimus di San Michaela. It was built by in the 16th century to prevent Turkish
boats from reaching the port. St. Nicholas Fortress was armed with 32 cannon
. However, its imposing appearance and size were a bigger threat to the enemy than canons.
The fortress is one of the most valuable and best preserved examples of defense architecture
in Dalmatia. The fortress is made of brick because this material was considered to be most resistant to cannon balls
, while the foundations are made of stone
. Although defense capabilities of the fortress have never been tested in military
operations, the structure still proved successful in protecting the city from sea-bound enemy attacks. During the centuries of use, the structure served to various armies and has undergone a number of renovations, some of them made necessary because of the development of arms. It was completely abandoned by the military in 1979 and has been in renovation ever since.
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
, one of the oldest native Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
towns on the eastern shores of the Adriatic, in central Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
History
In the town of Šibenik there are four fortresses:- Tvrđava Sv. Nikole u Šibeniku
- Tvrđava Sv. Mihovila u Šibeniku
- Tvrđava Sv. Ivana u Šibeniku
- Tvrđava Šubićevac
Only St. Nicholas Fortress is at sea, at the entrance of Šibenik port, and the others three are on land.
St. Nicholas Fortress was built on the left side at the entrance of the St. Anthony
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
(Sv. Ante) channel, on the island called Ljuljevac, in front of the Šibenik port. St. Nicholas Fortress got its name from the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Monastery of St. Nicholas, which was on the island, but due to construction of the fortress had to be demolished. At the request of domestic Croat population of Šibenik, the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
captain Alojzije de Canal decided to build a fort on an island of Ljuljevac in 30 April of 1525. Fortress was designed and built by the famous Venetian architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and builder Hyeronimus di San Michaela. It was built by in the 16th century to prevent Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
boats from reaching the port. St. Nicholas Fortress was armed with 32 cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. However, its imposing appearance and size were a bigger threat to the enemy than canons.
Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
in Dalmatia. The fortress is made of brick because this material was considered to be most resistant to cannon balls
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
, while the foundations are made of stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
. Although defense capabilities of the fortress have never been tested in military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
operations, the structure still proved successful in protecting the city from sea-bound enemy attacks. During the centuries of use, the structure served to various armies and has undergone a number of renovations, some of them made necessary because of the development of arms. It was completely abandoned by the military in 1979 and has been in renovation ever since.
External links
- CroTouristica.com - Šibenik tourist info
- http://www.sibenik.hr/vodic/sibenik/kulturno_povijesna_bastina3.asp
- http://projekt.sibenik.hr/hrv/nikola.htm