Belgrade Fortress History

BEGINNINGS OF SETTLEMENT The strategically convenient location of the ridge at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube !hich do"inates the surroundings and enables control over the #lain fro" its north and !est side had been inhabited since #rehistoric ti"es$ Based on the archaeological findings at the %##er To!n&s #lateau of the Belgrade Fortress the first settle"ent originates during the Neolithic #eriod$ SINGIDUNUM Significant changes at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers occurred during the #eriod follo!ing the unsuccessful "arch on Del#hi in '() B*$ %#on their arrival at the territory surrounding the +iver Danube the *elts , Scordisci led by Batant first ca"e across the Illyrian tribe of -utariati and other Thracian and Illyrian tribes$ The #resence of the t!o different ethnic ele"ents is indeed reflected in the to!n&s na"e. Singidunu" is a co"#ound of Thracian and Dacian tribal na"e Singi and *eltic !ord for to!n , dunu"$ -fter settling do!n the *elts !ho !ere great !arriors develo#ed agriculture and #ottery and started "a/ing coins by the "iddle of the 'nd century B*$ +elevant archaeological findings sho! that *eltic Singidunu" !as actually situated in the area of !hat is no! 0arabur"a instead of the area of the %##er To!n of the Belgrade Fortress$ THE ROMAN MILITARY CAMP The first +o"an "ilitary ca"# !as established at the beginning of the 1st century "ost li/ely bet!een the year 2 and 11 -D as a res#onse to re#eated attac/s of the barbarian tribes against the ridge over the confluence of the Sava and the Danube$ -t the beginning of the 'nd century Singidunu" beca"e the base of the I3 Flavia legion$ This legion !as also called Feli4 "eaning luc/y due to its !ar successes$ The first +o"an fortification !as a #alisade soon after a "ilitary ca"# , castru" !as built$ The castru" had a rectangular basis 526 "etres long and a##ro4i"ately 756 "etres !ide$ It !as situated in the area of today&s %##er To!n !ith a #art of 0ale"egdan 8ar/ u# to the 8aris/a Street$ 8arts of +o"an ra"#arts !ith re"ains of the four9angled to!er have been e4cavated under the layers of later fortifications and can be seen today at the north!est !all of the %##er To!n$ During the reign of :adrian ;11(917<= Singidunu" had a status of a "unici#iu" >the settle"ent !ith a restricted self9 governence&$ The status of a colony i$e$ a to!n en?oying co"#lete +o"an civic rights !as obtained bet!een the years '11 and '<($ -fter the #artition of the +o"an E"#ire in the year 7)5 Singidunu" !as included in the Eastern +o"an E"#ire9 By@antiu"$ MIGRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE AND BY ANTINE SINGIDUNUM Situated at the crossroads Singidon , as the By@antines called the city at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube , !as an unavoidable #lace for "any #eo#le !ho !ere #assing by or staying in during the Great Migration$ %nder the leadershi# of -ttila the :uns bro/e through in the Bal/ans in the year A11 destroying a nu"ber of to!ns Singidon being a"ong the"$ -fter -ttila&s death the :uns& state disintegrated !hile the area of Singidon !as settled by the tribes of Eastern Goths Ge#idaes Sar"atians$ The leader of the Ostrogoths Theodoric conBuered Singidon in the year A(1 and had rule for 1( years until his de#arture for Italy$ The

By@antine e"#eror -nastasius I allo!ed the tribe of :eruli to settle the territory of Singidon$ Being a!are of the i"#ortance of the border to!ns in the struggle against barbarians the e"#eror Iustinian I ;5'(9525= started !ith the rene!al of Singidon ?ust before the beginning of the year 575$ 8roco#ius Iustinian&s court !riter noted that the e"#eror surrounded the to!n !ith strong ra"#arts turning it into a >city of great glory&$

SLA!IC BELGRADE By@antine e"#eror and historian *onstantine 8or#hyrogenitus !rote that the Serbs got to Singidunu" on the !ay to the Bal/ans$ The !hiteness of the li"estone ridge !ith the re"ains of early By@antine fortress built fro" the stone of the sa"e geological co"#osition and colour had clearly stood out fro" the rest of the surrounding !hich clearly deter"ined the Slavic na"e of the to!n. Chite To!n , Beograd$ There is no certain data !hen the Slavs built their o!n to!n but it is believed it occurred bet!een so"e!here the <th and )th century$ The Slavic na"e of the to!n Beograd !as recorded for the first ti"e on 12th -#ril <(< in the letter of the 8o#e Dohn 3III to the Bulgarian #rince Boris$ The 8o#e "entioned the Slav Sergius as the head of the Belgrade e#isco#ate$

THE BY ANTINES" HUNGARIANS" BULGARIANS AND THE CRUSADERS IN BELGRADE -t the beginning of the ninth century the region under!ent "a?or change$ The -var /hanate disa##eared fro" the historical stage and Fran/ish rule !as established in #arts of 8annonia$ To the south a Bulgarian state develo#ed !hich e4#ands to!ard the north!est in the second and third decade of the ninth century$ %nder its authority at that ti"e co"es and the Belgrade area$ For Bulgarian state the #osition of Belgrade in the border area !ith the Fran/s certainly had great strategic i"#ortance$ During the 11th and 1'th century Belgrade !as under the By@antine rule$ In these turbulent ti"es Belgrade !as destroyed and rene!ed "ore than once$ Nu"erous different crusader ar"ies #assed over the territory of Belgrade several ti"es$ -fter the crusader&s invasions in 16)2 and 11A( in the Third crusade in 11<) Belgrade !as the centre of Frederic/ I Barabarossa&s crusader ar"y$ +e9establishing the border at the Danube during the reign of Manuel I *o"nenus ;11A7911<6= the By@antine E"#ire sho!ed interest in Belgrade by rene!ing the to!n&s fortifications$ Several to!ers and !alls !ere built follo!ing the #rinci#les of By@antine "ilitary architecture as !ell as the deltoid castle in the %##er to!n !hich !as 175 "etres long and 26 "etres !ide$ During the entire 17th century Belgrade !as a#art s"aller interru#tions in the hands of :ungarians$

SERBIA AND BELGRADE

In 1'<' Serbian /ing Dragutin gave u# his throne in favour of his younger brother Milutin at the council in De@evo and got a #art of Serbian country to govern$ Dragutin !as "arried to 0atarina the daughter of :ungarian /ing Ste#hen 3 fro" !ho" he got Macva !ith Belgrade

to rule over in 1'<A$ :istorical records about Belgrade in this #eriod are very #oor$ It is /no!n for sure that the By@antine #rincess and Serbian Bueen Si"onida visited Belgrade "ost #robably in 1715$ On that occasion Si"onida "ade an obeisance to the icon of :oly Mother !hich !as considered to be "iraculous and the greatest sanctity ever since 16(6s$ Belgrade re"ained Serbian until Dragutin&s death in 1712$ In March that year /ing Milutin too/ Dragutin&s region and held it until 171) !hen :ungarians attac/ed and conBuered Belgrade$ -lthough the later Serbian rulers t@ar Stefan Dusan and du/e La@ar fought against :ungarians on several occasions the situation had not changed significantly , Belgrade re"ained in the :ungarian hands until the beginning of the 15th century$

BELGRADE # THE CAPITAL OF THE SERBIAN STATE -fter the battle of -ngora in 1A6' Stefan La@arevic the son of du/e La@ar !as given a title of des#ot by the By@antine E"#eror !hile :ungarian /ing Esig"und gave hi" Belgrade to rule over$ Thus in 1A6A Belgrade beca"e in a di#lo"atic !ay for the first ti"e the ca#ital of the Serbian state and therefore its "ilitary econo"ical and cultural centre$ Since the to!n !as according to the *onstantine the 8hiloso#her >ruined and uncared for& the des#ot began rene!ing old and building the ne! fortifications as !ell as the to!n !alls and to!ers$ Belgrade !as divided in t!o #arts. the %##er and the Lo!er To!n$ The to!n !as surrounded by double !alls !ith to!ers and trench fro" the "ainland$ In the %##er To!n at the #lace of the for"er By@antine castel des#ot built a castle !ith es#ecially strong !alls !ith to!ers and a trench and the entrance over a dra!bridge$ There !as a court inside the castle and the t!o to!ers , Nebo?sa and Bo?sa houses of the aristocracy cha#el library and a treasury$ During the reign of des#ot Stefan La@arevic Belgrade en?oyed both econo"ic and cultural #ros#erity$ -fter the death of des#ot Stefan in 1A'( Belgrade again fell in the hands of :ungarians !ho started to enhance and fortify the fortress due to the "ore freBuent attac/s of the Tur/ish ar"y$

TUR$ISH BELGRADE

-uthor. %n/no!n

Belgrade !as defended against Tur/ish attac/s for the first ti"e in 1AA6$ Sultan Meh"ed II the conBueror of *onstantino#le undertoo/ the Great ca"#aign against Belgrade in 1A52$ -fter great battles on the rivers !ith outstanding Serbs9 >sa?/asi& and on the ground Belgrade "anaged to defend and beca"e >-nte"urale *hristianitatisF the !all of *hristianity$ During the third siege of Belgrade in 15'1 Sultan Suley"an the Magnificent succeeded to conBuer the to!n$ -t that ti"e Belgrade beca"e a very i"#ortant stronghold for their further "ove"ent to!ards the heart of Euro#e$ The to!n field in front of the Fortress !as na"ed 0ale"egdan ;/ale 9 to!n "egdan , field= and the hill on !hich the Fortress !as built !as called >ficir bair& , hill for conte"#lation$ Fro" this #eriod only t!o of "any Tur/ish buildings at the Belgrade Fortress are #reserved. the fountain of Meh"ed9#asha So/olovic ;second half of the 12th century= and the to"b ;turbeh= of Da"ad -li98asha ;1<th century=$

BARO%UE BELGRADE

-uthor. Dohan Ba#tista Gu"# -fter al"ost t!o centuries of Tur/ish rule -ustria began to rule over Belgrade in 12<< and at once started to build a "odern fortress based on the design of engineer -ndrea *ornaro$ :o!ever the Tur/s too/ over the to!n in 12)6$ During the siege a Tur/ish bo"b hit one of the to!ers in the Lo!er To!n$ The fire caught gun#o!der storage and the e4#losion !as so strong that it co"#letely destroyed the castle of des#ot Stefan La@arevic !ith casualties of over one thousand #eo#le$ The Tur/s !or/ed on restoring fortifications guided by *ornaro&s design as he ?oined their service$

-uthor. Mancini Fro" 1(1( to 1(7) -ustria too/ over Belgrade and again began ne! constructions of !alls bastions and earth!or/$ *olonel Nicolaus Do4at De More@ "anaged the !or/s$ The Belgrade Fortress beca"e one of the strongest "ilitary strongholds in Euro#e$ :o!ever according to the Belgrade 8eace Treaty in 1(7) Tur/ey got the to!n !ithout fight$ Follo!ing a clause of this #eace treaty -ustria !as obliged to destroy all ne!ly built fortifications$ Once again -ustria succeeded in ta/ing over Belgrade in October 1(<)$ By the Treaty of Svishtova in 1()1 -ustrians left Belgrade and the ?anissaries !ere forbidden to enter the Belgrade #ashado"$

BELGRADE FORTRESS IN THE MODERN TIMES

-uthor. Dohan Georg Fridrih 8o#el

-t the beginning of the 1)th century after the "urder of the co""ander of Belgrade to!n :ad?i Mustaf , 8asha ?anissaries controlled the to!n and the neighbouring villages$ The terror of ?anissaries and the events around the >Deca#itation of the du/es& led to national a!a/ening and the First Serbian %#rising in 1<6A headed by 0arad?ord?e 8etrovic$ The rebels had ta/en the to!n in 1<62 and the Fortress in 1<6($ -fter the debacle of the %#rising in 1<17 the Tur/s ruled over the Fortress again until they finally left Belgrade$ The Tur/ish co""ander of Belgrade handed over the /eys of the to!n to #rince Miha?lo Obrenovic at 0ale"egdan on 2G1) -#ril 1<2($ Serbian soldiers re#laced Tur/ish "ilitary guards and the flag of Serbia !as raised ne4t to the Tur/ish one$ -fter this #eriod the i"#ortance of the Fortress as the "ilitary stronghold decreased$

-uthor. 8o#el Dohan Georg The first !or/s on arranging the to!n field 0ale"egdan started in 1<2)$ During March 1<)1 the #ath!ays !ere cut through and the trees !ere #lantedH in 1)67 the Little Staircase !as built based on the #ro?ect of Delisaveta Nacic the first !o"an architect in Serbia !hile the Big Staircase designed by architect -le/sandar 0rstic !as built in 1)'<$ -ll old buildings !ere ruined in the First Corld Car !hile the fortifications !ere considerably da"aged$ The #ar/ got its #resent a##earance bet!een the t!o !orld !ars$ The #ro"enade along the Sava ban/ !as "ade together !ith the Big Staircase on the road to the 0ings Gate and ne!ly built statue >3ictor&$ The first archaeological research started in this #eriod and is still ongoing$ The Belgrade Fortress and 0ale"egdan !ere #laced under the state #rotection in 1)A2$

BELGRADE IN THE THIRD MILLENIUM The life at the ridge over the confluence of the Sava and the Danube has lasted for over t!o "illenniu"s$ Si4 centuries ela#sed since Belgrade beca"e the ca#ital for the first ti"e in its history$ The core of today&s t!o "illion agglo"erations is the Belgrade fortress and the 0ale"egdan 8ar/$ They for" a uniBue s#atial entity !ith clearly visible re"ains of the Fortress divided into %##er and Lo!er To!n !ith t!o distinct styles , ele"ents of "edieval architecture co"bined !ith do"inant baroBue solutions ty#ical for the 1<th century$ The

0ale"egdan 8ar/ Large and Little develo#ed in the area that once !as the to!n field are the #lace of rest and ?oy$ The Belgrade Fortress and the 0ale"egdan 8ar/ together re#resent a cultural "onu"ent of e4ce#tional i"#ortance the area !here various s#ort cultural and arts events ta/e #lace and are fun and ?oy for all generations of Belgraders and nu"erous visitors of the city$