Templar Hillfort, Vrana

The Templar Hillfort is an archaeological site and former fortress near the village of Vrana, in the municipality of Pakoštane in Zadar County. It suits visitors interested in the turbulent history of the medieval Zadar hinterland and the fortress remains that bear witness to it.

At the end of the 11th century Benedictines lived on the site of the present fortress. In 1169 the pope gave it to the Templars, and after the abolition of the Templar order in 1312 it passed to the Hospitallers. In the 15th century Venice held power over it, and in 1537 the Turks captured it. In 1647 the Venetians themselves demolished it so that it would not fall into enemy hands. The defensive ditch is fully preserved to this day, as is a large part of the ramparts, and within the perimeter the ruins of buildings protrude from layers rich in finds.

The Templar Hillfort is a protected cultural property and is entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia under the code Z-1736. It belongs to the archaeological heritage.

Photo: Harald Hetzner, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.
Data: Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Culture and Media), Open Licence; coordinates: Wikidata (CC0).