Fortress of Klis
Klis Fortress Tvrđava Klis | |
---|---|
Split Croatia | |
Coordinates | 43°33′36″N 16°31′26″E / 43.56000°N 16.52389°E |
Type | Fortification, mixed |
Site information | |
Open to the public | Yes
|
Condition | Preserved, slightly renovated |
Site history | |
Built | Unknown, probably in the 3rd century BC |
Built by | Small stronghold by Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae, later expanded mostly by:
|
Materials | Limestone |
Type | Protected cultural good |
Reference no. | Z-4206[1] |
1.) Small stronghold (pre–835) (Kliška gradina )
- ? – 9 AD Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae
- 9 AD – 476 Roman Empire
- 476–493 Odoacer
- 493–537 Theodoric the Great and Ostrogothic Kingdom
- 537–614 Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire
- 614–620 Slavs and Avars
- 620–640 Croats, a Slavic tribe
- 640–835 Dukes of Croatia
2.) Royal Castle (835–1102)
- 835–845 Duke Mislav of Duchy of Croatia
- 845–864
- 864–925
- 925 Kingdom of Croatia ruled by King Tomislav
- 925–1102 Croatian kings from
3.) Fortress (1102–1458)
- 1102–1217 Mixed
- 1217–1221 Pontius de Cruce in charge of Knights Templar appointed by Andrew II
- 1221–1227 Prince Domald from Split
- 1227–1242 Croatian nobility
- 1242 Croatian nobles Brativoj and Butko Julijanov during Mongol siege of the fortress.
- 1242–1273 Croatian nobility
- 1273–1277
- 1277–1302 George I Šubić
- 1302–1304
- 1304–1322 Mladen II Šubić of Bribir
Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia and Lord of all Bosnia- 1322–1330 George II Šubić
- 1330–1348
- 1348–1356
- 1356–1387 Croatian nobility in the name of Louis I the Great
Lands ruled by Louis in the 1370s.
- 1387–1394 Croatian noble John of Palisna (Croatian: Ivan od Paližne) from Vrana, in the name of Bosnian King Tvrtko I
- 1394–1401 Ban
Nikola II Gorjanski in the name of Sigismund- 1401–1434 Croatian noble
- 1434–1436 Croatian noble and Ban of Croatia
- 1436–1437 Ivan Frankopan's widow peaceful handover the fortress
- 1437–1458 Croatian noble Matko Talovac and later Petar and Vladislav in the name of Holy Roman Empire
4.) Ottoman Wars (1513–1648)
- 1513–1537 Croatian noble, Prince of Klis Petar Kružić
- 1537–1596 Ottoman Empire
- 1596–1596 Uskoks seized the fortress by treachery, but the Turks recovered it fairly quickly, in the same year
- 1596–1648 Ottoman Empire
5.) Decline of military importance (1648–present)
- 1648–1797 Republic of Venice
- 1797–1805 Austrian Empire as a part of Holy Roman Empire
- 1805–1813
- 1813–1815 Austrian Empire
- 1815–1867 Kingdom of Dalmatia within Austrian Empire
- 1867–1918 Kingdom of Dalmatia within Austria-Hungary
- 1918–1918 State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
- 1918–1929 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
- 1929–1939 Littoral Banovina within Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- 1939–1941 Banovina of Croatia within Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- 1941–1945 Independent State of Croatia
- 1945–1990 SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia
- 1990–1991
- 1991–present Croatia
The Klis Fortress (
Since
In March 1242 at Klis Fortress,
Klis Fortress is best known for its role in the Ottoman invasion of Europe in the early 16th century. Croatian captain Petar Kružić led the defense of the fortress against a Turkish invasion and siege that lasted for more than two and a half decades. During this defense, as Kružić and his soldiers fought without allies against the Turks, the military faction of Uskoks was formed, which later became famous as an elite Croatian militant sect. Ultimately, the defenders were defeated and the fortress was taken by the Ottomans in 1537. After more than a century under Ottoman rule, in 1669, Klis Fortress was besieged and seized by the Republic of Venice. The Venetians restored and enlarged the fortress. In 1797, the fortress was taken by Austria after the Fall of the Republic of Venice. Today, Klis Fortress contains a museum where visitors to this historic military structure can see an array of arms, armor, and traditional uniforms.
Location
The fortress is located above the
Perched on an isolated rocky eminence, inaccessible on three sides, the fortress overlooks Split, the ancient
History
Ancient stronghold of Illyrians and Romans
The ancient
Migration period and the arrival of the Croats
After the
Salona, the capital of the
Royal Castle
From the early 7th century on, Klis was an important Croat stronghold, and later, one of the seats of many Croatia's rulers.
The reign of Mislav's successor
Archaeological excavations found that a church dedicated to Saint Vitus was founded in the 10th century by a certain Croatian king, along with his wife, Queen Domaslava, which got destroyed during Ottoman conquests in the 16th century.[15]
A controversial Saxon theologian of the mid-9th century, Gottschalk of Orbais, spent some time at Trpimir's court between 846 and 848.[13] His work "De Trina deitate" is an important source of information for Trpimir's reign.[13] Gottschalk was a witness to the battle between Trpimir and Byzantine strategos, when Trpimir was victorious.[13] During the reign of Croatian king Tomislav, who had no permanent capital, the castle of Klis along with Biograd, were his chief residences.[16]
Knights Templar
From the early 12th century, and after the decay of the native Croatian royal family of Trpimirović, the castle of Klis was mainly governed by Croatian nobility, under the supremacy of Hungarian kings. The Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom of Hungary were, from 1102, in a personal union of two kingdoms, united under the Hungarian king.[Note 1][17]
Andrew II of Hungary was extremely favorably disposed towards the Templars.[18] During his participation in the Fifth Crusade, he appointed Pontius de Cruce, Master of the Order in the Hungarian Kingdom, as a regent in Croatia and Dalmatia.[18] After his return in 1219, in recognition of the great logistical and financial support which the Order had given him during the campaign, he granted the Order the estate of Gacka.[18] Even before his departure from the city of Split in 1217, he had made over to the Templars the castle of Klis (Clissa), a strategic point in the hinterland of Split (Spalato), which controlled the approaches to the town.[4][18][19] The king Andrew was reluctant to entrust the castle of Klis to any of the local magnates, knowing what great harm could come from that castle.[19] It was the king's will that Split receive the castle of Klis for the defense of their city.[19] The city of Split showed little interest in the royal favors, so the king entrusted Klis into Templars hands.[19] Shortly after this, the Templars lost Klis, and, in exchange, the king gave them the coastal town of Šibenik (Sebenico).[18]
Mongol siege
Tatars under the leadership of Kadan experienced a major failure in March 1242 at Klis Fortress, when they were hunting for Béla IV of Hungary.[5] The Tatars believed that the king was in the Klis Fortress, and so they began to attack from all sides, launching arrows and hurling spears.[20] However, the natural defenses of the fortress gave protection, and the Tatars could cause only limited harm.[20] They dismounted from their horses and began to creep up hand over hand to higher ground.[20] But the fortress defenders hurled huge stones at them, and managed to kill a great number.[20] This setback only made the Tatars more ferocious, and they came right up to the great walls and fought hand to hand.[20] They looted the houses in the outskirt of the fortress and took away much plunder, but failed to take Klis altogether.[20] Upon learning that the king was not there, they abandoned their attack, and ascending their mounts rode off in the direction of Trogir,[20] a number of them turning off toward Split.[20]
The Mongols attacked the Dalmatian cities for the next few years but eventually withdrew without major success, as the mountainous terrain and distance were not suitable for their style of warfare.
Some historians claim that the mountainous terrain of Croatian Dalmatia was fatal for the Mongols, because they suffered great losses when attacked by the
Šubić's rule
The weakening of royal authority under
Paul I Šubić, Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia, became
Petar Kružić and Uskoks
Owing to its location, Klis Fortress was an important defensive position during the
When a large Turkish force threatened the fortress, Kružić appealed to Ferdinand I for help, but the Emperor's attention was diverted by a Turkish invasion into Slavonia.[26] For more than two and half decades, Captain Kružić, also called (Prince of Klis), defended the fortress against the Turkish invasion.[5] Kružić led the defense of Klis, and with his soldiers fought almost alone against the Ottomans, as they hurled army after army against the fortress.[5] No troops would come from the Hungarian king, as they were defeated by the Ottomans at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, and the Venetians baulked at sending any help.[5] Only the popes were willing to provide some men and money.[5]
Final Ottoman siege
The attempts to relieve the citadel ended in farce.
Sanjak centre of Ottoman Bosnia
During the Ottoman wars in Europe, Klis Fortress was, for a century, an administrative centre or sanjak (Kilis Sancağı) of the Bosnia Eyalet.[5] On April 7, 1596, Split noblemen Ivan Alberti and Nikola Cindro, along with Uskoci, Poljičani, and Kaštelani irregulars, organized an occupation of Klis.[5] Assisted by dissident elements of the Turkish garrison, they succeeded.[5][31] Bey Mustafa responded by bringing more than 10,000 soldiers under the fortress.[5] General Ivan Lenković, leading 1,000 Uskoci, came in relief of the 1,500 Klis defenders.[5] During the battle, Ivan Lenković and his men retreated after he was wounded in battle, and the fortress was lost to the Turks, on May 31.[5] Nevertheless, this temporary relief resounded in Europe and among the local population.[5]
From the well-fortified position in the Klis Fortress, the Turks were a constant threat to the Venetians and to the local Croatian population in the surrounding area. In 1647, after the Turkish success at Novigrad, the Turks were said to have 30,000 troops ready to attack Split.[32] The Signoria send off two thousand soldiers with munitions and provisions to the threatened area.[32] Although Split and Zadar were strong fortresses, they were clearly in danger.[32]
The Klis mosque / church
The Ottomans built a stone mosque with a
Venetian rule
In 1420, the
The Venetians fought for decades before they finally managed to re-take Klis.
From 1669, Klis Fortress was in the possession of the Venetians, and it remained so until the
Architecture
Klis Fortress is one of the most valuable surviving examples of defensive architecture in Dalmatia.[3] The fortress is a remarkably comprehensive structure with three long rectangular defensive lines, consisting of three defensive stone walls, which surround a central strongpoint, the "Položaj maggiore" at its eastern, highest end.[30] "Položaj maggiore" or "Grand position" is a mixed Croatian-Italian term, dating from the time when Leonardo Foscolo captured the fortress for the Venetians in 1648.[30] At that time, a village started to spread below the ramparts.[33] The structures of the fortress are mostly irregular, as they were constructed to suit the natural topography.[4] Several small towers top the hills around Klis, built by the Turks to keep the fortress under surveillance.[4]
Fortress outskirts
Klis Fortress rises on a bare cliff divided into two parts.[3] The first, lower part is on the west, out topped by Mount Greben from the north.[3] The second, higher part is on the east, and includes the Tower "Oprah", whose name most likely refers to a specific part in the defense.[3] In this section, which was not topped by any side, was located the flat of the Commander.[3] The only entrance into the fortress is from the western side.[3] On the southwest side of the fortress, and below it, was a resort (part of the modern village of Klis) called "borgo" or "suburbium", surrounded by double walls with 100–200 towers.[3] A similar but smaller resort (also part of modern village of Klis) existed below Mount Greben on a plateau called Megdan.[3] This included lazarettoes and quarantines which were in Turkish times called nazanama.[3] Many inns for travellers also once existed, which were used for isolation during epidemics.[3] Thus, the coastal towns, primarily the city of Split, was protected from epidemics that came from Bosnia.[3] Near the fortress were several sources of drinking water, and the closest was the "Holy Biblical Magi" whose importance was invaluable during long sieges.[3]
Present appearance
The fortress was built into the south face of a rocky mass, and is barely discernible from the distance as a man-made structure.[33] The defensive capabilities of the fortress have been tested through history in many military operations.[3] During the centuries of its use, the structure served various armies and has undergone a number of renovations to keep up with the development of arms.[3] The original appearance of the fortress is no longer known, due to the structural changes undertaken by Croatian nobility, Turks, Venetians and Austrians.[3] The present day aspect of a mostly stone fortress dates back to the restructuring work carried out by the Venetians in the 17th century.[33]
First defensive line
Many buildings of the Klis Fortress, which are from 17th through 19th centuries, are partially or entirely preserved.[3] The Fortress actually consists of three parts, enclosed by walls with separate entrances.[3] The first main entrance was built by the Austrians in the early 19th century, on the place of an earlier Venetian entrance.[3] Left of the entrance is a fortification erected by the Venetians in the early 18th century.[3] Also, near the main entrance is a "position Avanzato" built in 1648, which was repeatedly renewed afterwards.[3] On the ground floor of the fortification is a narrow over-vaulted corridor, which is called a casemate.[3]
Second defensive line
The second entrance which was significantly damaged in the siege of 1648, leads to the former medieval part of the fortress previously ruled by a Croatian nobility.[3] After 1648, Venetians fully restored the second entrance, but its present appearance was made by the Austrians during the early 19th century.[3] Along the northern wall near the second entrance is fortress-tower called "Oprah", the most important medieval fortification of the western part of the fortress.[3] It was mentioned for the first time in 1355, but later the Venetians made the lower crown on it.[3] Nearby the entrance are artillery barracks, built by the Austrians in the first half of the 19th century.[3] In 1931 its upper floor was ruined, so now only the ground floor remains.[3]
Third defensive line
The third entrance leads to the former medieval part built in the early Middle Ages.[3] The Venetians renewed it several times after conquest in 1648, and the last upgrade was in 1763.[3] Within this part of the fortress is the side tower, built during the 18th century, and completed in 1763.[3] Following is a repository of weapons built in the mid-17th century and old powder magazine from the 18th century.[3] The "House of Dux", later called governor's residence, was rebuilt in the mid-17th century on the foundations of the oldest buildings from the period of the Croatian kings.[3] Austrians repaired this building, and there were placed commandments unity of the fortress and Engineering.[3] On the top point of the fortress was a "new gunpowder storage", built in the early 19th century.[3]
The oldest remaining building with the dome is a former square-shaped Turkish mosque, which has been converted into a Catholic church in the meantime. There used to be three altars, dedicated to St. Vid, Virgin Mary and St. Barbara, but today the church has no inventory.[3] The church contains a Baroque stone sink from the 17th century, which served as a baptistery, which has engraved on it the year of 1658.[3] West of the church is the bastion of Bembo, the largest artillery position in the third defense line and in the whole fortress.[3] It has wide holes for guns, and was built in the mid-17th century on the site of former Kružić's tower, and the defensive positions of Speranza.[3]
Present day
The Klis Fortress has been developed as a visitor attraction by the "Kliški uskoci"
In popular culture
The fortress was used in a 1972 historical film
Gallery
-
"Kliški uskoci" re-enactment
-
Croatians battling the Ottomans
-
Game of Thrones film set
-
Cannon in the fortress
-
St. Vid Church in the fortress
See also
- List of castles in Croatia
- List of rulers of Croatia
- Timeline of Croatian history
- Siege of Klis
- Battle of Klis (1596)
Notes
- ^ The actual nature of the relationship is inexplicable in modern terms because it varied from time to time. (Bellamy (2003), p. 38.) Sometimes Croatia acted as an independent agent and at other times as a vassal of Hungary. (Bellamy (2003), p. 38.) However, Croatia retained a large degree of internal independence. (Bellamy (2003), p. 38.) The degree of Croatian autonomy fluctuated throughout the centuries as did its borders. (Singleton (1989), p. 29.)
- Little War.
References
- ^ "Tvrđava Klis". Registar Kulturnih Dobara. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ a b Hrvatski leksikon (1996), p. 470.
- ^ (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wilkinson (1848), pp. 169–172.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Listeš, Srećko. "Povijest Klisa". klis.hr (in Croatian). Službene stranice Općine Klis. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ Royal Geographical Society (1856), p. 589.
- ^ a b Collection (1805), pp. 111–116.
- ^ a b c Fine (The early medieval Balkans – 1991), p. 22.
- ^ a b Curta (2006), pp. 100–101.
- ^ a b c d Fine (The early medieval Balkans – 1991), pp. 34–35.
- ^ Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Administrando Imperio, ed. Gy. Moravcsik, trans. R.J.H. Jenkins, rev. ed., Washington, Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, 1967.
- ^ Fine (The early medieval Balkans – 1991), p. 257.
- ^ a b c d e f Curta (2006), p. 139.
- ^ a b c Hrvatski leksikon (1996), p. 1022.
- ^ "O novopronađenom natpisu s imenom kraljice Domaslave iz crkve sv. Vida na Klisu" [About the newly found inscription with the name of Queen Domaslava from the church of St. Vida na Klisu] (PDF). www.historiografija.hr (in Croatian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- ^ Fine (The early medieval Balkans – 1991), p. 263.
- ^ Regional Surveys of the World (1996), p. 271.
- ^ a b c d e Hunyadi and Laszlovszky (2001), p. 137.
- ^ a b c d Archdeacon (2006), pp. 161–163.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Archdeacon (2006), p. 299.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Klaić V., Povijest Hrvata, Knjiga Prva, Druga, Treća, Četvrta i Peta Zagreb 1982. (in Croatian)
- ^ a b c Fine (The Late Medieval Balkans – 1994), p. 206.
- ^ a b c d e Fine (The Late Medieval Balkans – 1994), pp. 207–208.
- ^ a b c Fine (The Late Medieval Balkans – 1994), pp. 208–209.
- ^ a b c d e f Fine (The Late Medieval Balkans – 1994), pp. 209–210.
- ^ a b c d e f g Singleton (1989), pp. 60–62.
- ^ Seton-Watson, R. W. (Robert William) (July 11, 1911). "The southern Slav question and the Habsburg Monarchy". London : Constable & Co. – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f g Setton (1984), p. 421.
- ^ a b Spandouginos (1997), p. 75.
- ^ a b c d e Bousfield (2003), p. 313.
- ^ Setton (1984), p. 9.
- ^ a b c Setton (1984), p. 144.
- ^ a b c d e Foster (2004), p. 215.
- ^ Fraser (1854), pp. 244–245.
- ^ Setton (1991), pp. 148–149.
- ^ a b Mihovilović, Sreten. "Otvorena "Uskočka oružarnica"". kliskiuskoci.hr (in Croatian). Povijesna postrojba „Kliški uskoci“. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
- ^ ago, Ours is the Fury 7 years (September 18, 2013). "New set photos from Klis and Dubrovnik". Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Bibliography
- ISBN 9789637326592.
- Bellamy, Alex J (2003). The Formation of Croatian National Identity: A Centuries-old Dream. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-6502-X.
- Bousfield, Jonathan (2003). The Rough Guide to Croatia. London: Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843530848.
- Collection (1805). A Collection of Modern and Contemporary Voyages & Travels Vol I. London: Oxford University.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89452-4.
- ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
- ISBN 0-472-08260-4.
- Foster, Jane (2004). Footprint Croatia. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 1-903471-79-6.
- Fraser, Robert William (1854). Turkey, Ancient and Modern. A History of the Ottoman Empire From the Period of Its Establishment to the Present Time. Edinburgh: Adam & Charles Black – Harvard University. ISBN 978-1-4021-2562-1.
- Hrvatski Opći Leksikon (in Croatian). Zagreb: ISBN 953-6036-62-2.
- Hunyadi and Laszlovszky, Zsolt and József (2001). The Crusades and the Military Orders: Expanding the Frontiers of Medieval Latin Christianity. Budapest: Central European University Press. Dept. of Medieval Studies. ISBN 963-9241-42-3.
- ISBN 9788640100519.
- Regional Surveys of the World (1996). Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Fourth Edition. London: Europa Publications Limited. ISBN 1-85743-058-1.
- Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain) (1856). A Gazetteer of the World: AA-Brazey. London, Dublin: A. Fullarton & Co. – Oxford University.
- ISBN 0-87169-161-2.
- Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1991). Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century. Philadelphia: Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-87169-192-2.
- Singleton, Frederick Bernard (1989). A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521274852.
- Spandouginos, Theodore (1997). On the Origin of the Ottoman Emperors. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521585101.
- ISBN 9781446043615.
Further reading
- Listeš, Srećko (1998). Klis: Prošlost, Toponimi, Govor (in Croatian). Klis: Hrvatsko društvo Trpimir. ISBN 9789539675132.
- Historical Unit Kliški uskoci – History of Klis and Fortress
External links
- Historical Unit Kliški uskoci
- Musulin, Nedjeljko (2009-11-04). "Kliška tvrđava, najveći muzej na otvorenome, pristupačnija turistima – Kliški uskoci opet čuvaju puteve do Dalmacije" [Klis fortress, the largest museum in the open, more accessible to tourists – Uskoci of Klis guard the roads of Dalmatia once again] (PDF). Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
- Webcam from top of the Klis fortress