Cippico Tower

Cippico Tower, locally known as Kula Cippico, lies in the town of Kaštel Novi, in the county of Split-Dalmatia in Croatia.

After the fall of Bosnia to the Ottoman Empire nin 1463, Dalmatia, being part of the Venetian Republic, faced the danger of Ottoman invasions. Local landowners; the Split Archbishopric, monasteries and nobles from Trogir and Split, therefore wished to protect their estates and the villagers working for them. So, during the following decades they started to build 17 fortifications and fortified 12 villages along the coast of the Kaštela Bay, between Trogir and Split.

Cippico Tower was one of these fortifications. It was built by Pavao Antun Cippico (Cipiku) from Split, after he had gotten permission from the Venetian authorities in 1512.

Originally, the tower was situated on a sea rock, 100 meters from the shore. It would have been a freestanding tower, topped with machicolations. It had 2 entrances; a sea gate on the south side and a land gate on the north side. The land gate would have been reached over a stone bridge, coming from the fortified village on the mainland, and a drawbridge.

Already in 1517 the village was looted by Ottoman troops, but they were unable to take the tower. At some point during the next centuries the water between the tower and the shore was filled in, and its machicolations disappeared as it had lost its defensive purpose.

In the 19th century it became property of the Katalinić family. They built the warehouse up against the east side of the tower, for wine storage.

At present, Cippico Tower seems to be private property and can not be visited.

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