Prozor Fortress
Encyclopedia
Prozor Fortress is a medieval fortress situated in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia county
, in inland Dalmatia
, just above the town of Vrlika
in Croatia
. From its origin as a small stronghold
built by the ancient Illyrian
tribe Dalmatae
, it developed to a fortress in the 15th century, during the reign of the Croatian feudal lord Hrvoje Vukčić
.
. It was chain link of near by forts like fort Glavaš - Dinarić
and Potravnik
. The closest large towns are Sinj
, Knin
, and Drniš
. Prozor Fortress has an equally spectacular view of the Peruća Lake
(Perućko jezero) and mountains Dinara
and Kamešnica
to the east and mountain Svilaja
to the southwest.
Prozor Fortress is made of stone like other fortresses in Dalmatia. It is partially restored, and entrance is free of charge.
The way up to Prozor Fortress starts at the Roman Catholic parish church in Vrlika. It takes a 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) car ride towards small village of Maovice
, followed by a 25-minute walk along a dirt trail.
Prior to the arrival of the South Slavs
, the Dalmatae
are said to have lived in the region. The known history of Prozor Fortress begins parallel with the history of Vrlika in the 7th century, when the Croats
moved there and formed a village on the spring of the river Cetina
, in a field below the mountain Dinara
. In the 9th century probably during the time of Duke Branimir
of Littoral Croatian Duchy
, the old Croatian Catholic St. Saviour was built near Vrlika, then called Vrh Rike.
In 1406, king Ladislaus of Naples gifted Prozor Fortress, at that time Castrum Werhlychky, as a center of Vrlička župa to the Hrvoje Vukčić
.
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban
of Croatia
, Grand Duke of Bosnia
and a Herzog of Split
. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian House of Hrvatinić
and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia. At the beginning of the 15th century, Hrvoje Vukčić fortified and strengthen the Prozor Fortress over the Vrlika valley to defend inhabitants from the invasion by the Ottoman Empire
. After 1416, Hrvoje Vukčić die, but his son Balša Hercegović don't have power to hold Prozor Fortress, which then belongs to Ivaniš Nelipić
, and later to Ivan Frankopan
.
In 1421, king Sigismund
donated Vrlika with the Prozor Fortress to Mihači Nikolinu Vitturiju, but Ivaniš Nelipić refused to handover the fortress. When wealthy Prince Ivaniš Nelipić, the last male member of Frankopan's illustrious clan, died in 1434, the problem of inheritance became acute. According to his will, his only daughter, Princess Catherine or Margarita Nelipić, was to inherit all of his extensive possessions from the Velebit
ranges to Cetina
river. Her patrimony was argued and eventually shared by Frankopan. In spite of the legality of this bequest, and his consent to the marriage upon request of the late Ivaniš Nelipić, king Sigismund
denounced the testament
and demanded that Frankopan turn over to him the legacy of his wife's inheritance. When Frankopan refused to obey, Sigismund proclaimed him a rebel and deprived him of all honors and possessions. After that the fortress was lost to Venetian noble Mihača (Mikac) Nikolin Vitturi from Trogir
, who was a commissioner of king Sigismund.
The Turks
invaded the fortress in 1522, and held it until 1688. After the fortress was taken, the Turks, disregarding the conditions of its surrender, massacred all within it. Of all the lords of the Prozor Fortress, folk tales best remember the bloody Suli-ma Muli-Hodzic. After the Turks, the fortress belonged to the Republic of Venice
, the to the Austrian Empire
, when it lost its main strategic importance. From 1805 to 1813, it was under French
rule, and from 1813 to 1918 it again under the Austrian rule, as was all Croatia.
Prozor Fortress was built on isolated rock, deatached from the craggy clif on the end of mountain Svilaja range of hills. The remains
of the Prozor Fortress are the ruins of a spacious residential building, a water tank, stone walls and a chapel
. The Prozor Fortress was expended while it was owned by Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinićat at the end of 14th and during early 15th century from the small stronghold built by Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae. In Turkish times the mahala, or the housing area of Vrlika fortress, developed around it. Prozor Fortress is dominated by the tall keep
or donjon, around which is an open court
with houses and a chapel. The courtyard is defended by the lower ramparts
and a round tower
. A drawbridge
once gave access to the keep. Today's condition of Prozor Fortress is poorly, as the fortress is ruined, although slightly renovated.
Split-Dalmatia County
Split-Dalmatia County is the central-southern Dalmatian county in Croatia. The administrative center is Split. The population of the county is 455,242...
, in inland 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....
, just above the town of Vrlika
Vrlika
Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. The town of Vrlika has a population of 959, while the municipality has a population of 2,705 . There are 2,670 Croatian speakers, 16 Serbian speakers and 19 speakers of other...
in 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 ...
. From its origin as a small stronghold
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
built by the ancient Illyrian
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
tribe Dalmatae
Dalmatae
The Dalmatae or Delmatae were an ancient people who inhabited the core of what would then become known as Dalmatia after the Roman conquest - now the eastern Adriatic coast in Croatia, between the rivers Krka and Neretva...
, it developed to a fortress in the 15th century, during the reign of the Croatian feudal lord Hrvoje Vukčić
Hrvoje Vukcic
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian noble House of Hrvatinić and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia...
.
Location
Prozor Fortress sits prominently above the town of VrlikaVrlika
Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. The town of Vrlika has a population of 959, while the municipality has a population of 2,705 . There are 2,670 Croatian speakers, 16 Serbian speakers and 19 speakers of other...
. It was chain link of near by forts like fort Glavaš - Dinarić
Glavaš - Dinaric Fortress
Glavaš – Dinarić Fortress is a fortress located in the continental part of Dalmatia, Croatia. Dinarić is located below the Dinara mountain, northeast the town of Vrlika....
and Potravnik
Potravlje Fortress
Potravlje Fortress is a medieval fortress located near a village of Potravlje, 15 km northwest of Sinj, Croatia....
. The closest large towns are Sinj
Sinj
Sinj is a town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The town itself has a population of 11,448, while the population of the administrative municipality which includes surrounding villages is 24,832 ....
, Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
, and Drniš
Drniš
Drniš is a town in Croatia, located in inland Dalmatia at halfway between Šibenik and Knin. Its municipality population is 8,595 , with 3,332 in the town itself and the rest in two dozen surrounding villages...
. Prozor Fortress has an equally spectacular view of the Peruća Lake
Peruca Lake
Lake Peruća or Peruča is the second artificial lake in Croatia after Lake Dubrava. It is located in the Split-Dalmatia county.-Location:...
(Perućko jezero) and mountains Dinara
Dinara
Dinara is a mountain located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of its summits, also called Dinara, is the highest point in Croatia at 1,831 m and a prominence of 728 m.-Etymology:...
and Kamešnica
Kamešnica
Kamešnica is a mountain in the Dinarides at the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia . It is an extension of the Dinara that stretches from the northwest white road pass Vaganj to Buško Blato artificial lake...
to the east and mountain Svilaja
Svilaja
Svilaja is a mountain range in Croatia, located in inland of Dalmatian Zagora.It belongs to Dinaric Alps, and it stretches from the town of Sinj northwest to the Petrovo field, approximate 30 km in length....
to the southwest.
Prozor Fortress is made of stone like other fortresses in Dalmatia. It is partially restored, and entrance is free of charge.
The way up to Prozor Fortress starts at the Roman Catholic parish church in Vrlika. It takes a 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) car ride towards small village of Maovice
Maovice
Maovice is a small village in Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia. Maovice is a settlement in the Vrlika municipality, and has a population of 494...
, followed by a 25-minute walk along a dirt trail.
History
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
, the Dalmatae
Dalmatae
The Dalmatae or Delmatae were an ancient people who inhabited the core of what would then become known as Dalmatia after the Roman conquest - now the eastern Adriatic coast in Croatia, between the rivers Krka and Neretva...
are said to have lived in the region. The known history of Prozor Fortress begins parallel with the history of Vrlika in the 7th century, when the Croats
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...
moved there and formed a village on the spring of the river Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
, in a field below the mountain Dinara
Dinara
Dinara is a mountain located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of its summits, also called Dinara, is the highest point in Croatia at 1,831 m and a prominence of 728 m.-Etymology:...
. In the 9th century probably during the time of Duke Branimir
Branimir of Croatia
Branimir was a ruler of Dalmatian Croatia who reigned as Knez from 879 to 892. He was recognized by Pope John VIII as the Duke of the Croats...
of Littoral Croatian Duchy
Littoral Croatian Duchy
Littoral Croatia or Dalmatian Croatia is a name for a region of what used to be a medieval Croatian principality which was established in the former Roman province of Dalmatia...
, the old Croatian Catholic St. Saviour was built near Vrlika, then called Vrh Rike.
In 1406, king Ladislaus of Naples gifted Prozor Fortress, at that time Castrum Werhlychky, as a center of Vrlička župa to the Hrvoje Vukčić
Hrvoje Vukcic
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian noble House of Hrvatinić and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia...
.
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
of 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 ...
, Grand Duke of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and a Herzog of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian House of Hrvatinić
House of Hrvatinic
Hrvatinić dynasty was a medieval Bosnian/Croatian noble house which ruled over various parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Dalmatia between the 13th century and the 15th century....
and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia. At the beginning of the 15th century, Hrvoje Vukčić fortified and strengthen the Prozor Fortress over the Vrlika valley to defend inhabitants from the invasion by the Ottoman Empire
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...
. After 1416, Hrvoje Vukčić die, but his son Balša Hercegović don't have power to hold Prozor Fortress, which then belongs to Ivaniš Nelipić
Ivan III Nelipac (Ivaniš Nelipić)
Ivaniš Nelipić was Ban of Croatia and a member of one of the most powerful Croatian noble families at the time. At his greatest power he ruled areas in inner Croatia from the mountain of Velebit to the Cetina river. From 1401 to 1434, he ruled over Klis Fortress, although his main seat was at Knin...
, and later to Ivan Frankopan
Ivan Frankopan
Ivan Frankopan was a Croatian noble who ruled as Ban of Croatia from 1432 to 1436. He was one of the nine sons survived by Nicholas Frankopan.-Controversy over legacy:...
.
In 1421, king Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
donated Vrlika with the Prozor Fortress to Mihači Nikolinu Vitturiju, but Ivaniš Nelipić refused to handover the fortress. When wealthy Prince Ivaniš Nelipić, the last male member of Frankopan's illustrious clan, died in 1434, the problem of inheritance became acute. According to his will, his only daughter, Princess Catherine or Margarita Nelipić, was to inherit all of his extensive possessions from the Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
ranges to Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
river. Her patrimony was argued and eventually shared by Frankopan. In spite of the legality of this bequest, and his consent to the marriage upon request of the late Ivaniš Nelipić, king Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
denounced the testament
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
and demanded that Frankopan turn over to him the legacy of his wife's inheritance. When Frankopan refused to obey, Sigismund proclaimed him a rebel and deprived him of all honors and possessions. After that the fortress was lost to Venetian noble Mihača (Mikac) Nikolin Vitturi from Trogir
Trogir
Trogir is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, with a population of 12,995 and a total municipality population of 13,322 . The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo...
, who was a commissioner of king Sigismund.
The Turks
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...
invaded the fortress in 1522, and held it until 1688. After the fortress was taken, the Turks, disregarding the conditions of its surrender, massacred all within it. Of all the lords of the Prozor Fortress, folk tales best remember the bloody Suli-ma Muli-Hodzic. After the Turks, the fortress belonged to the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, the to the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
, when it lost its main strategic importance. From 1805 to 1813, it was under French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
rule, and from 1813 to 1918 it again under the Austrian rule, as was all Croatia.
Architecture
Remains
Remains may refer to:* "Remains" , a 2009 song by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon* Remains , a 2007 compilation album by punk band Alkaline Trio...
of the Prozor Fortress are the ruins of a spacious residential building, a water tank, stone walls and a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. The Prozor Fortress was expended while it was owned by Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinićat at the end of 14th and during early 15th century from the small stronghold built by Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae. In Turkish times the mahala, or the housing area of Vrlika fortress, developed around it. Prozor Fortress is dominated by the tall keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
or donjon, around which is an open court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
with houses and a chapel. The courtyard is defended by the lower ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and a round tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
. A drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
once gave access to the keep. Today's condition of Prozor Fortress is poorly, as the fortress is ruined, although slightly renovated.