SMEDEREVO FORTRESS

Smederevo fortress is situated at the confluence of the Jezava and the Danube river.It was built to be the capital of the country and the fortified manor of despot Đurađ Brankovic. During the first stage of construction between 1428 -1430, a castle was erected with the ruler’s court,originall designed as an independet fotification.Soon after that the ramparts were built around the area.

According to its area of 11 ha with no external walls and towers and 14.5 ha with them, is the largest lowland fortress that type in Europe. Smederevo’s fortress today is a monument of great imortance a popular tourist destination, as an exclusive space for music and drama and other cultural events.

Largest in Europe

History After the death of Stefan Lazarevic, Despot could not stay

in Belgrade who took Hungarians, so he built a new capital in Smederevo. The city was chosen as far away from the Turks, and relying on the Danube River and the border of Hungary. Here is the plain, and built water city, surrounded by the Danube and Jezava Rivers, with a third party dug the trench with water. It was built from 1428 to 1430, as is demonstrated by the inscription on a brick-built tower of the inner (small) town. These inscriptions are rare, and this is the only example in the former Yugoslavia. There's more in the Byzantine Empire, and from that side is taken perhaps a model for the walls and towers, which is understandable when you consider that the work led by the Byzantines Kantakuzen, brother Djurdjevi wife Irina.

FallAlthough the 15th century already time shot and although the weapons Serbs, especially the Turks, already used, Smederevo fortress is still conceived as a city built for combat and defense and stabbing weapons from the cold. No cannon city unless cannons were placed only on platforms high tower - but it could only be smaller tools. Since it took the Turks by, strengthened in 1480, adding him in front of all three corners at a more modern low battery tower for defense.

Bloody Jerina About Jerini the nation remained in a very bad memory, and

is called "Bloody Jerina". Her name is indelibly linked to the building of Smederevo, which was built in a short time with the huge sacrifices that filed the population despotate. For many, it was not clear purpose of building this huge fortress, but attributed this to Jerinin whim, especially as the works operated by her brother Djordje Kantakuzin.

Traditions throughout Serbia preserve the memory of masonry Smederevo. Heavy forced labor, which the locals have had to endure the masonry of this strategically important city, was held in the national memory to this day. Older people around Smederevo still the question of who was building the city of Smederevo, are the "damned Jerina".

Death of Despina Jerina also wrapped in legend. According to the legend, despotic poisoned youngest son Lazar in Ostrovici so as she poured the poison into a salad. Although there is no historical evidence, poets Momcilo Nastasijević in the musical drama "despot" and Vojislav Ilic songs "Mine Cave of the" accepted the legend of the matricide.