Šibenik-Knin County: St. Nicholas Fortress Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries

1. Goran Pauk, Šibenik-Knin County Prefect
St. Nicholas Fortress
Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries
Walled Cities, Open Societies
2nd meeting of the Regional Network on the Management of Historic Walls
and Fortifications in Urban World Heritage Properties in Europe
05-06 March 2018 | Šibenik, Croatia

2. LOCATION

3. The Venetian Works of Defence between 16th and 17th centuries:
Stato da Terra - Western Stato da Mar
 The construction of the Fortress of St. Nicholas started in 1540 as the response of
Venice to the powerful Turkish naval force
 The construction began according to plans by Gian Girolamo Sanmicheli
 The basic layout form of the fort is a triangle
 Fort St. Nicholas in the context of Venetian military architecture –St. Nicholas
fortress is not only an earlier work, but also more original; the two demi bastions
on the south side create a tenaglia, an element which appeared here for the first
time in Venetian architecture

4.  CRITERION (III): The Venetian Works of Defence provide an exceptional testimony of the
alla moderna military culture, which evolved within the Republic of Venice in the 16th and
17th centuries, involving vast territories and interactions from Venetian terraferma to the
Levant.
 CRITERION (IV): The Venetian Works of Defence present the characteristics of the alla
moderna fortified system (bastioned system – trace italienne) built by the Republic of
Venice following changes that were introduced following the increased use of firearms.
Statement of Outstanding Universal Value
 Fortified city of Bergamo
 Fortified city of Peschiera del Garda
 City Fortress of Palmanova
 Defensive System of Zadar
 Fort of St. Nicholas
 Fortified city of Kotor
The Venetian Works of Defence between 16th and 17th centuries:
Stato da Terra - Western Stato da Mar

5.  St. Nicholas Fortress is a part of Significant landscape
„Channel – Port in Šibenik” managed by PIN
Public Institution NATURE of Šibenik-Knin County (PIN)
 PIN is managing with 7 Significant landscapes, 2 Monuments of
nature and over 60 Natura 2000 sites

6. The area chosen as buffer zone has been selected within the
‘Channel – Port in Šibenik’ area, categorized as „Protected Areas-
Category V„ in the IUCN classification, characterized by a
"Significant Importance".
BUFFER ZONE Significant Landscape
NATURA 2000 site

7. Protection according to Law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage
St. Nicholas fortress – maritime propriety

8. Heritage conservation in co-operation with conservators1. Challenge

9. Sustainable spatial development2. Challenge

10. The Plan was drawn up in accordance with the Article 18 of the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management
(ICZM) in the Mediterranean - financed by Global Environment Fund (GEF).
The Mediterranean Protocol on the ICZM was signed in Madrid in 2008 by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona
Convention. The Coastal Plan for Šibenik-Knin County a goal is twofold: sustainable development and building
resilience of the County’s coastal area
Building resilience of the coastal area - Coastal Plan for the Šibenik-Knin County (ICZM)3. Challenge

11. Fire prevention in the buffer zone
• Climate variability and change will cause increase of dry periods, thus increasing the risk
of forest fires
• Human factors - increased number of visitors raise the risk of wildfires in the buffer zone
• Strengthening the prevention measures and coordination of monitoring are already being
implemented in the buffer zone
• HOLISTIC Project (IPA Adriatic), Value: 186. 667 EUR, financed by the EU (IPA ADRIATIC)
4. Challenge

12. Fire prevention in the buffer zone – control centre4. Challenge

13. Fire prevention - Automatic warning panels for forest fire risk index4. Challenge

14. Tourism Valorization of the St. Anthony Channel in Šibenik - first phase
IPA 2007-2009: Business-Related Infrastructure Grant Scheme
Specific objective of the project is to improve the public tourism infrastructure and management system for
development planning and promotion of the selective forms of active and cultural tourism and related services in
the natural protected areas of the NATURA 2000 site in Šibenik-Knin County
Duration: March 2012 – March 2014
Total project value: 1.334.053, 99 EUR (co-financed by the EU with 930.636,063 EUR ili 69,76 %)
4,4 km long walking path along the St. Anthony channel that leads to
the St. Nicholas fortress

15. 15000
37000
70000
8000
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
Jan - Mar. Apr. - June July - Sept. Oct - Dec.
VISITOR NUMBERS 2016
Visitor Numbers 2016
These data are based on camera counting system set on the most frequent place on the walking path in St. Anthony's
channel.
Visitor and ship numbers5. Challenge

16. Number of Vessels in St. Anthony’s Channel 2016 and 2017
5. Challenge Visitor and ship numbers

17. Management Plan
Tourism Valorization of St Nicholas' Fortress in the St Anthony's Channel
in order to obtain funds for creating project and technical documentation needed for the revitalization and
restoration of St Nicholas’ Fortress.
 Amount of contract: 0.4 mil EUR – financed by the EU
 Grant Contract: signed on 5th October 2017
 One of the project activities: Development of Management
Plan of the cultural heritage St. Nicolas Fortress. This project
also include documentation for conservation.
 The foreseen end of the project activity: by the February 2019.
 Project partners: Šibenik-Knin County and Regional
Development Agency of Šibenik-Knin County (RDA).
 According to Draft decision: PIN of Šibenik-Knin County will
develop Management Plan by the end of 2019.

18. List of project and technical documentation for the project Tourism Valorization of St Nicholas' Fortress in the St Anthony's
Channel financed by the County
Project and technical documentation developed prior to the signing of the EU contract
Activity name Project element
Bathymetric image of the underwater area Designing access infrastructure
Fortress – project to provide a safe visit to it
Reconstruction and restoration of
St Nicholas' Fortress
Access bridge to the fortress Designing access infrastructure
Pier reconstruction Designing access infrastructure
Access ramp reconstruction Designing access infrastructure
Conservation survey providing guidelines on restoration and use of the
facility
Reconstruction and restoration of
St Nicholas' Fortress
3D scanning and 3D modelling
Reconstruction and restoration of
St Nicholas' Fortress
Project and cost statement of embankment, barrier and building removal
Reconstruction and restoration of
St Nicholas' Fortress
Thermographic measurement Designing access infrastructure

19. Project and technical documentation to be completed by the end of the project implementation (Feb. 2019) – finance by the EU
Activity name Project element
Specialist survey providing information on temporary and permanent protection of the facility from the penetration of sea
water and meteoric water
Reconstruction and
restoration of St Nicholas'
Fortress
Restoration survey of foundations, wall and ceiling constructions
Restoration survey of the portal reconstruction
Fortress – InfoDesk and access control
Fortress – sanitary facilities
Fortress – lighting / electricity supply
Fortress - landscaping
Fortress – project of external water supply installations, faecal and rainwater sewage
Fortress – project of external distribution telecommunications canalization
Study on environmental protection intended for the implementation of the assessment procedure related to the necessity
for an evaluation of the intervention and its impact on the environment that would include a preliminary assessment of
the intervention acceptability for ecological network
Project application and feasibility study (CBA used)
Archaeological and conservation survey of the position and shape of the land entrance Designing access
infrastructureProject of a road
Fortress – project of the interior (Museological and design solution) Designing the interior of St
Nicholas' FortressFortress – lighting technology project
Cultural heritage management plan
Putting the cultural
heritage site into operation
Communication plan Marketing and promotion
Project leaflet design and printing Advertising and visibility

20. Reconstruction and Restoration works of St Nicholas’ Fortress – in progress in order to provide safe visit – financed by the
Šibenik-Knin County, Public Instution of Nature and Ministry of Culture
Pier reconstruction
Access ramp reconstruction

21. ILLUSTRATION OF THE LATERAL SURFACE WITH DATING OF THE MATERIAL
USED - facade of the north-east curtain wall / entrance facade
ILLUSTRATION OF THE LATERAL SURFACE WITH DATING OF
THE MATERIAL USED - top view of the fortress plateau
ILLUSTRATION OF THE LATERAL SURFACE OF THE FORTRESS BY TYPES OF
MATERIALS – facade of the north-east curtain wall / entrance facade
ILLUSTRATION OF THE LATERAL SURFACE OF THE FORTRESS BY
TYPES OF MATERIALS – top view of the fortress plateau

22. PROPOSAL FOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES – facade of the north-east curtain wall /
entrance facade
PROPOSAL FOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES – top view of the fortress plateau
OVERVIEW OF MATERIAL DAMAGE ON THE LATERAL SURFACE - facade of
the north-east curtain wall / entrance facade
OVERVIEW OF MATERIAL DAMAGE ON THE LATERAL
SURFACE - top view of the fortress plateau

23. The project was submitted in April 2017 under the OP Competitivness and Conhesion 2014-2020, ESI Funds 2014-2020.
Total project value: 3.540.633,72 EUR (co-financing by the EU with 80%)
Status: final phase
It should start with realization in 2018.
The area of the former Minerska former military zone is a key point that will enable the Fortress of St. Nicholas remains
preserved without much intervention. All required visitor facilities will be located in Minerska.
Tourism Valorization of the St. Anthony Channel in Šibenik – second phase (Visitor center)

24. Thank you for attention!
Goran Pauk, Šibenik-Knin County Prefect
ŠIBENIK-KNIN COUNTY
Trg Pavla Šubića I no. 2
Šibenik, Croatia
zupan@skz.hr
http://skz.hr