FORTRESSES

ŠPANJOLA
is a fortress which started being built during the Turkish rule in the 15th century. However, today’s name originated from the Spanish conquerors which renovated in, as well as some other fortresses, and have continued building it during their one year rule over the city. Its original name was the “Upper city” Fortress.
The appearance that it has nowadays was acquired during the Turkish rule in the 16th century. It is located at the Northwestern side of the city on the Bajer hill, at a height of 170 m.


KANLI KULA
originates from the Turkish period (16th century); it used to be a prison (which is where its original Turkish name the “Bloody Tower” comes from), and in 1966 it was reconstructed and turned into one of the most wonderful summer stages on the Adriatic coast, which has over 1000 seats, even though it can accommodate over the total of 15,00 people. On the South walls of the fortress, there is the so called “Donkey door” which was made by Austrians in the 19th century.


SAT KULA
(Sahat kula – Tora, i.e. the Clock Tower ) was built in 1667 at the orders of Sultan Mahmud. During the Turkish rule, these were the main city gates. There is a sculpture of Madonna in its arcade (called the “Black Madonna” since it was built from the burnt wood in remembrance of the founder of the city, Tvrtko I Kotromanić, and was done in the form of bas-relief by Afran Hozić from Sarajevo).
The clock on the tower was replaced by an electric one only in 1995 and it was a gift from the city of Zemun.


TOWER OF ST. JEROME
was built in 1687 in the honor of Jeronim Korner, the conqueror of the city. This fortress was a part of eastern city walls, of the fortification of TARNOVICE (Karača, Karadža). From this tower, the city walls stretch towards the “Door of Perast”, named to honor the people of Perast who in 1687 came in rescue to the allied army to fight against the Turks for the liberation of the city. Today, on the top of this tower there is a building which is the headquarters of the City band.


FORTE MARE
(Sea Fortress) was built in the period between the 14th and 17th century, renovated in 1833, from 1952 turned into a summer movie theater, and later on into a discotheque. The fortress rests on strong rocks, above the walkway along the shore, and inside its walls there is a door – a passage leading from the seashore to the top of the fortress. On the upper side of the fortress there is a “Porta di mare” (Sea Door) with rudiments from the Bosnian period.


CITADELA
is a fortress located at the very sea and its walls used to connect it with the upper city. The tower, with the walls, was built during the Venetian rule. The fortress was almost entirely torn down in the 1979 earthquake, and today, it is more in the sea than on the ground. One can see only the remains of the fortress.