Benković Castle

Benković Castle, locally known as Kaštel Benković, lies in the town of Benkovac, in the county of Zadar in Croatia.

In 1409, Dalmatia was split up when one part was sold to the Republic of Venice, while the other part belonged to the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom. The Croatian area of Benkovac then became a border region and local Croatian nobility erected multiple fortifications to defend their lands against the Venetians.

Benković Castle was one of those fortifications built during the 15th century. It was founded, in the 2nd half of that century, probably by Ivan Benković. His castle consisted of a tall square keep, connected to a square bailey.

The castle was taken by the Ottomans in 1527. They then strengthened the castle by adding 2 round towers to the south and west corners of the bailey. In 1650 the castle was set on fire during a siege by Karlo de Begna, a Venetian noble from Zadar. The Turks were finally expelled in 1683 and the castle became a Venetian property. Venetian rule lasted until 1797.

In the 19th century, Benković Castle lost its military importance and became a private residential complex, a function it kept up until the mid-20th century. By then, the castle had fallen into a dilapidated state. During the 1970s it was restored. It now houses a regional history museum. The interior of the keep however has lost its historical appearance.

Benković Castle can be visited for a small fee. A nice compact castle with an interesting museum.

Gallery