Smederevo Fortress - Cultural and Historical Significance

Cultural and Historical Significance

Smederevo Fortress has been described as "one of the most striking and monumental pieces of architecture surviving from medieval Serbia", and "the witness of Serbian creative force." It is an accurate display of traditional medieval defensive architecture and has remained well preserved, suffering no major deterioration until World War II. The fortress and surrounding area have accumulated evidence of the civilizations that developed throughout history, mainly between the 15th and 20th centuries, providing a direct testimony for the progress of the medieval Serbian state and corresponding Orthodox Church.

The fortress was built by Đurađ Branković as the new capital of Serbia. During construction, Branković's wife Jerina was seen speaking with the foreign overseers—her brother George Kantakouzenos and his men—which resulted in her being commonly associated with the project. Among the workers, this association, coupled with required long-term labor and high taxes, gained her the nickname Prokleta Jerina (Damned Jerina).

The amount of effort exerted also produced a variety of exaggerations and stories, such as the epic poem "Starina Novak i knez Bogosav" ("Elder Novak and Count Bogosav"), which stated that many people fled to the woods and became hajduci in order to escape taxes and further work. While there were in fact hajduci in the area, it is unclear whether they were actually related to the fortress' construction.

Once the first part was completed, Smederevo Fortress quickly became an important connection between the Balkans and central Europe. Shortly after it was built, the city reached its peak importance as a religious, commercial, and trade center, at which point it was populated mainly by Serbs and colonies of merchants, primarily from Dubrovnik. Around the same time, the relics of Saint Luke the Evangelist, who became the patron saint of Smederevo, were brought and stored in the church in the fortress.

In relation to the structure itself, the inner city is notable for the audience hall, which is an important representation of Serbian medieval architecture. High in the stone wall on the Danube side, four sets of double-arched windows are carved in a combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles. This is where a merchant contract between the Republic of Venice and the Serbian Despotate was signed.

There is also a tower in the inner city with a large brick inscription naming Đurađ Branković and stating the date of construction. It reads „V Hrista Boga blagoverni despot Gurg, gospodin Srblju i Pomorju zetskomu; zapovešću njegovom sazida se ovaj grad v leto 6938“ ("In Christ the Lord faithful despot Gurg, Lord of Serbs and the Littoral of Zeta. By His order this city was built in the year of 6938 "). Above it is an immured cross, which gives the tower its names "krstata kula" and "krstača". This type of inscription is rare, and found only on former Byzantine territory. It is the sole example in Yugoslavia.

In the fortified suburb are the minimal remains of two more significant structures. One was a sacral complex, Blagoveštenjska crkva (Annunciation Church), where the Saint's relics were stored. Though its construction began in the 15th century, it was built over several historical phases. The second structure was a Turkish bath from the 17th century.

For years, Smederevo Fortress stood as the last defense against Ottoman assaults. During their attack in 1439, it also became the first site in Serbia to see cannonfire. When it fell in 1459, it became the center of a Turkish sanjak. Later, Smederevo was a province of the Habsburg Monarchy, and between 1805–1807 it was once again the center of the renewed Serbian state.