The Smederevo Fortress is located in the town of Smederevo, at the confluence of the Jezava River and the Danube. It was built in the 15th century, by order of the Serbian despot Đurđ Branković, and is also known as "Đurđ Smederevac". The fortress was built on the model of the Byzantine fortress in Constantinople and is a classic water fortress because it was surrounded by water on all sides - the rivers Danube and Jezava, as well as an artificial canal that was dug on the southern side.
The fortress itself occupies an area of about 11 hectares and has an irregular triangular shape. It is divided into two parts: the Little City, located in the north, where the court of the despot and his family was located, and the Great City, where the rest of the population lived. The construction of the Small Fortress lasted only two years (1428–1430), while the entire construction lasted until 1439. The fortress had a total of 25 high towers, of which four were artillery towers from the Ottoman period, and three have been preserved to this day.
The Smederevo fortress had five phases of construction - four Serbian and one Turkish. The first phase included the construction of the Little Town and the palace, while in the second phase the towers were covered and a grain warehouse was built. In the third and fourth phases, smaller ramparts and towers were added along the banks of the rivers. The fifth phase was carried out under the Ottomans, when four artillery towers were added - one at each exit and one in the south as the main gate.
During its history, the fortress was repeatedly the target of Turkish attacks. The first major attack took place in 1439, when the Ottomans besieged the city for three months and shelled it daily. Due to lack of food, the fortress fell on August 18 of that year. Despot Đurađ then retreated to Hungary to gather an army, and after returning with the help of the crusaders, he managed to regain the territory and sign peace with the Ottomans in 1444. The fortress then again became the capital of Serbia.
In 1453, Smederevo repelled the attack of Sultan Mehmed II, while Constantinople fell at the same time. The fortress resisted again in 1456, but finally fell under Ottoman rule in 1459, officially ending the existence of the Serbian medieval state.
Over the centuries, the fortress has been used by various armies, including Hitler's during World War II. Then a German ammunition depot exploded in the fortress, causing great damage to the fortress, but the surrounding town was almost razed to the ground, while the fortress survived.
There are many legends related to the fortress. One of the most famous tells about the wife of the despot Đurđa, Jerina, whom the people called "cursed Jerina" because the workers, exhausted by construction in difficult conditions, blamed her for their troubles. Another legend says that Jerina hid a great treasure somewhere in the fortress so that the Turks would not find it - a treasure that no one has discovered to this day.
The fortress is still a living historical place today. Archaeological excavations are constantly being carried out, and among the most important finds are a Turkish bath, a church whose origin has not yet been clarified, as well as the tombs of nobles richly decorated with jewelry. You can see all these artifacts in the Museum in Smederevo, which is located only 200 meters from the fortress.
If you are a lover of history, architecture, legends and adventure, a visit to the Smederevo Fortress is an unmissable experience. Its towers offer a wonderful view of the modern city of Smederevo, but also the feeling that you are a part of the past that still lives in stone, water and stories that are passed down from generation to generation.
