A UNESCO World Heritage Nomination for Šibenik’s Famous Fortress

St. Nicholas Fortress (photo credit: Šibenik-tourism.hr)

One of the most famous sights in Šibenik- St. Nicholas Fortress – has been nominated to become Croatia’s latest UNESCO protected World Heritage site…

St. Nicholas Fortress’ nomination to be included on the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage has been accepted and a decision on whether or not its becomes an official UNESCO World Heritage site will be made in May this year.

The original idea to apply for UNESCO status came from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage because of Italian works in the 15th century on the fortress. St. Nicholas Fortress was built on the left side at the entrance of the St. Anthony channel, on the island called Ljuljevac, in front of the Šibenik port.

St. Nicholas Fortress got its name from the Benedictine Monastery of St. Nicholas, which was on the island, but due to construction of the fortress had to be demolished. At the request of domestic Croat population of Šibenik, the Venetian captain Alojzije de Canal decided to build a fort on an island of Ljuljevac on 30 April 1525. Fortress was designed and built by the famous Venetian architect and builder Hyeronimus di San Michaela. The imposing fortress prevented Turkish boats from reaching the port in the 16th century.

The fortress could be the next UNESCO site in Croatia (photo credit: Chris Comparini )

The fortress is one of the most valuable and best preserved examples of defense architecture in Dalmatia. The fortress is made of brick because this material was considered to be most resistant to cannonballs, while the foundations are made of stone.