The fortress of Španjola or Gornji grad is a fortification built in Herceg Novi in the 16th century on the hill of Bajer.
Despite the fact that the name hints at its Spanish origins, the fortress is an example of Turkish defensive architecture in the Bay of Kotor, which was also altered by representatives of the Venetian Republic and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Today the fortress is abandoned, and everyone can visit it 24/7.
History of fortress
According to documents, the fort on Bayer Hill was actually started by the Spaniards. In June 1538, the Spanish fleet, led by Andrea Dori, gained control of Herceg Novi (then known as Castelnuovo). Realizing the importance of the city in controlling the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, they left a garrison of 6000 people and began to build a fortress, which was to be named after the Spanish King Charles V.
However, they only had time to lay the foundations, as already nine months later, in 1539, the Turks under Hayreddin Barbarossa knocked out the Spaniards and regained control of the city.
Fortress Spanjola under Ottoman rule
The idea of the fortress in the location chosen by the Spaniards liked the Turks and they continued its construction, but according to their own project. It is known that the project was under the personal control of the Turkish Sultan Suleiman.
So construction continued for 9 years and was completed in 1548. The fortress was named Gornji grad, which means «Upper Town» in Serbian/Montenegrin. In all documents, this name is indicated, but among the locals more popular is the name — «Španjola» («Španja» means «Spain» in Serbian/Montenegrin)).
The fortress really resembled a mini-town, with everything to ensure life during the long siege: water tanks, barracks, warehouses, a mosque (later rebuilt by the Venetians into barracks for officers).
The fortress of Španjola after the Ottoman Empire
From 1687 to 1797 the fortress passed into the possession of the Venetian Republic. On their maps, the Venetians called this fortification by various names, including «Castello u Mortiera», «F. di Gornigrad u Koronelija» and «Fortezza superiore».
At the same time, an additional wall was added to connect the two towers on the sea side, thereby creating an inner courtyard. A new entrance was built here, and the former mosque became, according to some sources, a church and, according to others, a barracks for officers.
In later years, the fate of Španjola was identical to that of the entire Bay of Kotor:
- from 1797 to 1805 — was under the rule of the Habsburg monarchy as a consequence of the Treaty of Campo Formio;
- from 1806 to 1807 — short protectorate of the Russian Empire;
- from 1807 to 1815 — the territory of the French Empire under the Treaty of Tilsit;
- from 1815 to 1918 — the fortress went to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire also contributed to the improvement of the fortress: they used a name of «Fort Spagnuolo» for their documents and a battery with an armored dome for gunners («Kustenbatterie Spagnuolo») as well as two anti-personnel caponiers were built next to it.
After the end of World War I, the fort remained largely abandoned. The exception was World War II: the fort was used by the Italian occupation forces as a prison. However, with the leaving of the Italians, the fort became desolate.
Fort Spanjola today
In 1979, a major earthquake damaged many of the buildings inside the fortress.
To date, the Montenegrin authorities have a project to transform the fortress into an art space, but due to lack of funding, work has not yet begun.
The fortification is used to house a cell phone tower, with most of the structure freely accessible to anyone who wants to use it.
Description of the building
The fort of Spagnola was originally built as a regular square with round towers in the corners. This simple yet effective format of fortifications was often seen at that time, including in the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.
In the western part you can find an interesting artifact: the remains of a medieval Bosnian watchtower, which was inscribed in the wall of the new fortification. You can find them by the somewhat illogical extension of the wall outside the tower.
An argument in favor of such assumptions may be machicolations (hinged loopholes located in the upper part of the fortress walls and towers), which are not present anywhere else in this structure. And also the fact that they are ineffective for the age of firearms and were used mainly in the Middle Ages.
Inside the square walls are a number of buildings that were supposed to ensure the life of the fortress during sieges: at the moment there can be found the remains of a 19th-century Austrian barracks, collapsed Austrian armory with a semi-circular roof, the remains of a Turkish mosque, stores and the commander's house.
As mentioned above, the Venetians added another wall to the fortress from the outside, thereby creating another courtyard. The wall was used as an additional entrance to the fortress, which is now bricked up.
On the outer perimeter are remnants of the Austro-Hungarian period: a small hexagonal guard post, an additional wall, a pair of anti-personnel caponiers, and remnants of a mortar battery with rooms for shells and a gunner's position equipped with an armored dome. It was built by the Austrians in 1907 and, thanks to the additional walls, it is well protected from all sides.
How to get to Spanjola fortress
There are several ways to get to the fortress Španjola. First, you need to get to the city of Herceg Novi by car, cab or bus. The schedule of intercity buses in Montenegro can be found here.
From the bus station of Herceg Novi to the fortress Spanjola can be reached by cab or on foot.
Taxi
Alternatively, you can use one of the city cabs, which are usually present near the bus station («Taxi More» and «Maestro taxi»). You can also use a private cab, but the price of the trip in this case will be several times higher. The driver just says the name of the fortification («Spanjola») and he will take you right under the fortress gates.
You can also go directly to the gates of the fort with your own or rented car. There is a small free parking lot next to the fort.
Walking
It is not difficult to get to the fortress on foot, but keep in mind that the ascent will be quite steep, so stock up on water in advance. It will take about 30 minutes to reach the fortress.
