St Michael's Fortress in Šibenik

St Michael's Fortress is another one of Šibenik's many buildings worth visiting. It is a historical monument that reminds us of the times the town has gone through. St Anne's Fortress was its name from the 16th century until the end of the 20th century, before it was later renamed St Michael's Fortress at the beginning of the 1990s.

The fortress rises at the top of the old town agglomeration, on a rocky elevation 60 metres above the sea. Throughout its turbulent history it has often changed its name. This fortress plays a significant role and is a kind of epicentre of Šibenik. At this site the oldest evidence of civilisation in the Šibenik area was found.

Today's Šibenik began its life first as a Croatian tribal stronghold – a castrum – after the Croats descended to the Adriatic coast during the great migration and decided to stay here. The first settlers began building natural harbours at the mouth of the river Krka, and on the cliffs forts and castles, below which, on the slopes facing the sea, a town settlement was built. Today we know these settlements as Gorica and Dolac.

The castrum was first mentioned in the year 998. It was built to control and defend the entrance to Šibenik bay and the canyon of the river Krka. We should remember that the Krka is a navigable river, at least as far as the old ancient town of Skradin, so defence was already of great importance at that time. Throughout history, St Michael's Fortress was the dominant point of Šibenik's fortification system. The original structure was expanded over time, so the fortress itself became modern for its era. It was torn down and rebuilt again, and in the Middle Ages it received its final form.

Today it is viewed as a complex of functionally connected parts: the Castle, the forecourt along the southern and eastern side of the castle, the barbican on the western and northern side, and the “double ramparts”, which now occupy an area of 2,600 square metres.

Interesting facts about St Michael's Fortress

St Michael's Fortress was built at the point where the river Krka flows into the sea. It stands on a rocky elevation sixty metres above the sea. It was actually here that the life of the town of Šibenik began, which is first mentioned in historical sources in the year 1066, at the time of the Croatian king Petar Krešimir IV.

In the fortress as we see it today, a continuity of construction from the 13th to the 18th century can be recognised, although most of it dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. The ground plan of this building has the shape of an irregular quadrilateral. On the eastern part of the fortress two square towers have been preserved, and on the northern side two polygonal towers. The main entrance to the fortress, with Gothic features, is located on the eastern side.

Within the monument complex, numerous archaeological investigations have been carried out, during which many remains of material culture from prehistory to the late Middle Ages were found. Inside the fortress there was once a church of St Michael, which is already mentioned in historical sources in the 12th century.

We have already mentioned that the fortress was extended, torn down and rebuilt again. Throughout its existence, St Michael's Fortress was destroyed and restored several times, suffering its greatest damage in 1663 and 1752 from explosions of the gunpowder store located within its walls.

From St Michael's Fortress, double ramparts lead down towards the sea. They end at the shore with a large Gothic gate. The ramparts were built at the beginning of the 15th century, and served for the fortress's defenders to withdraw towards the sea in case of danger.

Revitalisation of the fortress

For a long time this fortress was under military administration, and it was only recently opened to the public.

Today we can all enjoy the details of this building, peek into the hidden secrets it holds, and admire the beauty of this impressive fortress dating from ancient times.

The revitalisation process took a long time, but it has finally been completed, and now everyone who wishes can enjoy touring the rooms and the exhibits displayed in the fortress.

The idea of converting it into a summer stage already appeared back in the 1980s, but those plans were halted due to archaeological investigations.

It was only on 28 April 2012 that restoration began, so that by the summer of 2014 St Michael's Fortress came to life as an open-air summer stage of amphitheatre type, that is, of the Greek-theatre type, with 1077 seats, according to the design of architect Tomislav Krajina and associates.

The underground part of the fortress has also been renovated, housing a museum collection and several auxiliary rooms with various facilities. Built into the fortress's basement area are water cisterns, which are the only fully preserved underground halls, and they are passable, bridged by a small wooden bridge with a glass railing. The fortress has thus become a recognisable monument of cultural heritage accessible to visitors and a place that promotes cultural tourism through the organisation of various cultural, musical and stage events.

The ceremonial opening of the newly renovated fortress took place on 7 July 2014 with a musical and stage spectacle in which more than 70 performers took part. Among the performers were well-known names such as Josipa Lisac and Maksim Mrvica, who performed in front of 1066 spectators (a number symbolic for the town of Šibenik).

The fortress was opened by President Ivo Josipović, who said on that occasion: "By opening this stage, Šibenik has gained a true launching pad for the soul, a place that once served for warfare now belongs to artists".

Be sure to come and visit the fortress in Šibenik. This is a place for true lovers of history, art and culture. Šibenik's tourist offer has become richer in every sense, as befits a town with such a rich historical and cultural heritage.