St. Nicholas Fortress, under UNESCO protection since 2017, welcomes us as we enter the town of Šibenik from the seaside.
With its peculiarities, it hints at the uniqueness of the city behind it. This fortress was built in the mid-16th century at the entrance to the St. Anthony`s Channel to protect it from the Ottoman threat. It´s placed on the small islet of Ljuljevac, named after the Benedictine monastery of St. Nicholas that used to be there before the fortress.
I1ts function was to monitor the sea routes of the area and the maritime entrance to the city. The prominent military engineer Giangirolamo who designed it made the St. Nicholas Fortress a solid and secure triangle-shaped fort with three defensive bastions.
We like to believe that in those times of war, St. Nicholas Fortress looked so powerful that no one dared to approach it, so it never fulfilled its defensive function.
A few centuries later, its uniqueness and age assigned it a new role, making it one of the must-see locations for every Šibenik`s visitor.
Author: www.visitsibenik.hr
