St. Nicholas’ Fortress

St. Nicholas' Fortress, locally known as Tvrđava sv. Nikole, lies near the town of Šibenik, in the county of Šibenik-Knin in Croatia.

St. Nicholas Fortress was built by the Venetians, who then controlled much of the Adriatic coast, between 1540 and 1547, in response to the growing threat of the Ottoman Empire during Suleiman the Magnificent's reign. Venetian officials feared a sea attack on Šibenik and selected the small island at the entrance of the narrow St. Anthony Channel as the perfect spot to block enemy ships. The site had previously housed a monastery dedicated to St. Nicholas. Until then, Šibenik had been defended only by its medieval town walls and St. Michael's Fortress (a castle later turned into a fortress).

The design was created by Giangirolamo Sanmicheli, nephew of the renowned architect Michele Sanmicheli. He built the fortress in a triangular shape with two land-facing bastions shaped like pliers (tenaglia). This was an early, innovative defense design that was later widely used in fortress construction across Europe.

The seaward side features a large semicircular tower. Originally, the fortress had 38 cannon embrasures on two levels, many of which still remain. Inside were quarters for a castellan and 30–50 soldiers, a gunpowder magazine, a cistern, and a small church built over the ruins of the former monastery.

The most artistically valuable feature is the northeast gate, once decorated with Renaissance carvings and a relief of the Venetian lion. This was later destroyed, first by French troops in the early 19th century, then again by the Yugoslav army in the second half of the 20th century.

The fortress was abandoned when the Austro-Hungarian army left at the start of the 20th century. Later that century, it was taken over by the Yugoslav army. It remained under military control and was closed to the public until 1991, when it was abandoned. In 2017, the fortress was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Venetian Works of Defense," and restoration work followed.

Today, St. Nicholas' Fortress is open to visitors. However, not by driving and walking to it, as I did, but only by taking a boat ride from Šibenik. Unfortunately, I only learned this after leaving Šibenik, so I didn't visit its interior. It’s a very beautiful island fortress.

The town of Šibenik itself is also well worth a visit. There are also three other fortifications in and around the town: the previously mentioned St. Michael's Fortress and the 17th-century fortresses of St. John's and Barone.

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