ZAGREB, 4 June 2022 - The renovated Fortress of St. John, one of the four medieval fortresses of the Croatian coastal city of Šibenik, was formally opened at a ceremony at that seaside city on Friday evening.
This fortress, built in the mid-17th century, and the other fortresses in the city were important for defense against Turkish invasion. It features a panoramic view of the town.
Addressing the ceremony, Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said that Šibenik now has "an amazing complex of the four upgraded fortresses."
The complex includes an educational campus and other amenities for visitors, all of which will make the tourist season longer in this Adriatic city.
The minister praised Šibenik for being very successful in the investments in its cultural heritage and in its transformation.
Mayor Željko Burić recalled that the renovation of this fortress started six years ago.
The other three renovated fortresses, which are also must-see places in Šibenik, are Barone, St. Michael's Fortress, and St. Nicholas Fortress, which is one of Šibenik's two landmarks added to the UN World Heritage List. Apart from that fortress, the other entry is the St. James' Cathedral.
In July 2017, Šibenik's St. Nicholas Fortress and Zadar’s fortified city walls and gates were officially inscribed on UNESCO's protected world heritage list at the 41st meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Krakow.
The two Croatian coastal sites were inscribed as part of protected defense systems on the territory of the former Republic of Venice. Šibenik's St. Nicholas Fortress, one of the strongest fortifications on the Adriatic, and Zadar’s 3-km-long fortified city walls and gates were built in the 16th century by the then Republic of Venice as defense from invading Turks.
Šibenik's cathedral, which was built in the 15th century, won global recognition in 2000 when it entered the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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