Публикације

One of the prime activities of the Association of Fortresses and remnants of fortified towns in Serbia is printing the publications about the each of the monuments separately. The main goal is to popularize and present these monuments of culture to the wide publicity. According to a research of the sources, level of preservation and historical significance, 29 fortresses has been selected. Thanks to a donation, which provide PE “Belgrade fortress”, the edition of Fortresses in Serbia has been start up and each of the monuments will be treated with one separately publication.

Publications contents basic information about geographical position, history of fortress, cultural heritage, renewal, future plans of revitalizations and also possibility for the tourist potential of the complex and it environment. Publications are on Serbian and English language.

The following publications are published>

Zvecan – September, 2007.  
Foretesses and Remnants of the Fortified Towns in Serbia – February, 2008. 
Belgrade –April, 2008.  
Smederevo – April, 2008.  
Golubac – April, 2008.  
Prokuplje – April, 2008.  
Krusevac – April, 2008.  
Koznik – April, 2008. 
Maglic – July, 2008. 
Bac – September, 2008. 
Kladovo – January, 2009. 
Stalac – January, 2009. 

Zvecan, september 2007.

We can trace the name of Zvecan for the first time back in the 11th century, when it was mentioned, under the name of Stephansion, in the book “Alexiad” by Byzantine princess Anna Comnena, who described Zvecan as a Serbian outpost at the frontier with the Byzantine Empire. The town of Zvecan was also mentioned in the chronicles depicting battles waged on the Kosovo Field in the period 1091-1094, between Serbia, under despot Vukan’s reign, and the Byzatine Empire.

Foretesses and Remnants of the Fortified Towns in Serbia – February, 2008.

For medieval Serbia fortifications – fortresses, castles and fortified towns – were very important. Those were key defense stances, from which the fait of whole area had depended. Strong fortresses and castles were guarantee that the country will survive. With conquering fortifications territories and lands were gained or lost. Fortifications were built on strategic places or on top of the hills that were hard to reach.

Golubac – April, 2008.

It is mentioned for the first time in historic sources dating back to 1335, after the death of king Dragutin, in a period of strong territorial pretensions between Serbia and Hungary. In the middle of XIV century prince Lazar donated estates to monasteries in Golubac region, but never set foot on the fortress, after unsuccessful attempts to conquer it the period from 1382 to 1389. It belonged to Serbs in the first decades of XV century. After the death of despot Stefan in 1427, according to a treaty, it should  have gone back to Hungary, but fell into Turkish hands.

Krusevac – April, 2008.

The town was erected on a rather accessible terrain, that being a novelty, because fortifications were as a rule built on difficult and inaccessible sites. The fortification followed the terrain and had an uneven and elongated base stretching southwest-northeast.  It was composed of two entireties, the Big town and the Little town. The main tower which was solidly built dominated the Little town.

Smederevo – April, 2008.

Smederevo fortress was built in order to be the capital of Serbia, and the fortified court of despot Djuradj Branković, thus to replace Belgrade which after despot Stefan`s death went back to the Hungarians. It took great efforts to build the fortress, and it represents the last great achievement of Serbian military architecture.

Koznik – April, 2008.

Princess Milica, according to sources, stayed in Koznik in 1402, and even despot Stefan often stayed in this castle. Here, “by Rasina”,  he issued two charters in 1405, giving Radič Postupovič all the nearby villages and the church on Grabovničica river. Princess  Milica issues on September 12th 1405  a charter delivered to Dubrovnik citizens, “issued at Rasina, when our lord and despot married”.

Belgrade –April, 2008.

The later on development of the Belgrade fortress was determined according  to aspirations of Serbian rulers to reinforce the frontiers along Sava and Danube. In the times of king Stefan  Dušan, in the fourth decade of XIV century, a new bank fortification is built along the river Sava, and connected with the castello on the hill. The main medieval fortifications were erected at the beginning of the XV century when Belgrade became the capitol of Serbia. Existing fortifications were reconstructed, within the old castello despot Stefan`s court was built, and at Sava the existing naval port was enlarged.  

Prokuplje – April, 2008.

Felix Kanitz, the renowned Austrian connoisseur of antiquity, noted in the eighties of XIX century fortification traces on Hisar. He interpreted the bulwarks as remnants of a Roman fort, renewed in the time of emperor Justinian. He noted that the castrum was 280 meters long and 180 meters wide, a dry ditch around the Upper town, three square towers on lower ramparts and  a tower near Toplica.

Maglic – July, 2008.

The fortress most probably served as Zica archbishop’s refugium, and also as a  provisional residence of archbishop Danilo II. Turks conquered Maglic by the middle of XV century and stationed a garrison in it. At the beginning of the XVI century it had a garrison counting 20 men and was headed by a dizdar, while by the middle of the same century the garrison fell to 11 men. 

Bac, august 2008.

Part of the present fortress dates  from the 1338-1342 period, when king Karl Robert Anzujski strengthened the borders of his kingdom. This is the time of the rise of emperor Dusan and of the Serbo-Hungarian war conflicts; this was exactly mentioned in one king Karl’s letter as a danger and consequently the reason to make fortification works.

Kladovo – January, 2009.

In this sector, in the vicinity of Kladovo, at the distance of up to 15 km, several medieval towns-fortresses were erected: the fortress on Adakale island (Adakaleh), then the terraced-rocky fortress Elizabeta (Elisabethfort) on the right (Serbian) bank (Djevrin site), at Adakale level, then the fortress downstream, on Bansko island (Banului) and, finally, Kladovo fortress-town, with a port (Fetislam/Fet(h)islam.

Stalac – January, 2009.

For the first time it is mentioned in a charter by prince Lazar, noting that the prince gives to the newly erected  Ravanica monastery, besides numerous possessions, the revenues of Stalac.

     “And I also contribute  (to Ravanica monastery): 150 litre of silver (about 52 kg) that come from Novo Brdo customs; and also the Stalac panadjur (fair) at St. Peter’s Day with the river ferry; .....and the Dubravnica tax collected from Razanj to Stalac.