Reconstruction to make St Nicholas’ Fortress world-renowned

St Nicholas’ Fortress (Photo: Sibenik-Knin County)

The 2.6 million kuna St Nicholas’ Fortress project has been presented to the public. 

The aim of the Tourism Valorization of St Nicholas’ Fortress in the St Anthony’s Channel project, which is funded through the European Regional Development Fund, is to create an exceptional tourist attraction within the area of Sibenik, which will improve the attractiveness of the destination, while contributing to sustainable social and economic development at a local and regional level.

The project will include the development of the necessary documentation for the reconstruction and tourism valorization of the fortress, and comprehensively views the reconstruction of the fortress, with a substantive definition, infrastructure, tourism and marketing potential taken into account in addition to reconstruction and restoration works. 

“Using sporting terminology, we have reached the semi-finals. We have come a long way, but the most important matches are still ahead. This project created all the documentation and preconditions for obtaining the funds for the complete and final reconstruction of the fort. The next step is to include the project in the list of strategic projects of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia,” said Mayor of Sibenik-Knin County Goran Pauk. 

(Photo: Sibenik-Knin County)

The main and detailed design of the fortress’s reconstruction was presented by Ana Skevin Mikulandra, head designer at the Croatian Restoration Institute: 

“Conservation, restoration works and furnishings are included. The design approach is based on conservation principles with the aim of preserving the integrity of monuments and monumental values, with reversible contemporary interventions, all in order to contribute to the creation of new values and to the position of the fortress in conformity with world importance.”

(Photo: Sibenik-Knin County)

Renata Tomljenovic from the Institute of Tourism said that the goal is to make the fortress world-renowned for its impressive architecture in a unique natural environment, but above all to preserve its authenticity and manage it sustainably for the benefit of citizens, visitors and future generations.

(Photo: Sibenik-Knin County)

St Nicholas’ Fortress in the St Anthony’s Channel in Sibenik is a unique monument of Renaissance fortification architecture and a superb example of Croatia’s architectural heritage. It is located at the exit of the St Anthony’s Channel. It was constructed in the 16th century to protect Sibenik from Ottoman naval attacks.

(Photo: Sibenik-Knin County)

The building was inscribed in the Croatian Register of Cultural Goods as an individual immovable cultural good of profane architectural heritage and since 2017 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the nomination The Defence System of the Republic of Venice between the 16th and 17th Centuries, including the buffer zone.