The Fortress in Bač
Tvrđava u Baču predstavlja najznačajnije i najbolje očuvano srednjevekovno utvrđenje na području Vojvodine. Lokalitet, na kome je tvrđava izgrađena, svedoči o dugom nizu vekova korišćenja ovog prirodno odbranjivog terena, koji je svoju sudbinu vezao za reku Dunav, prirodnu granicu među narodima i civilizacijama.
The fortress in Bač is the most significant and best-preserved medieval fortification in Vojvodina province. The site on which the fortress was built bears witness to centuries of use of this naturally defensible terrain, whose fate has been linked to the Danube River—the natural border between peoples and civilizations.
The construction of a part of today’s fortress is tied to the period between 1338 and 1342, when King Charles Robert of Anjou strengthened the borders of the kingdom. This was a time of the rise of Emperor Dušan and the Serbian–Hungarian conflicts, which was mentioned by King Charles in one of his letters as a danger and the reason for undertaking construction works on the Bač fortress. The expansion and fortification of the fortress continued for nearly two centuries. The work on fortification and adaptation to new military engineering requirements was overseen by archbishops, who were often also county leaders. The efforts of Peter II Varadija, a humanist, scientist, and art lover, were recorded; between 1495 and 1501 he completed the architectural work and deepened the defensive water moats around the fortress. In one of the letters sent from Bač, he wrote: “We can enjoy the purest Danube water, and had Narcissus been alive, he could have admired his reflection in it and enjoy!” The last reconstruction before the fortress fell into Ottoman hands was carried out during the time of Fra Pavle Tomori, between 1523 and 1526. At that time, the defensive system was fully completed.
On a naturally elevated terrain, formed by the meandering of the Mostonga River, there was a palisade-enclosed suburb stretching east–west, accessible by a bridge and through a gate tower. In the northwestern part of the meander, on an island, stood the fortified castle, reached by passing through a separate barbican, which was surrounded by water on all sides. The plateau on which the fortification was built is relatively small in dimensions, covering an area of 8,700 m². The base of the fortress itself, covering 5,600 m², is trapezoidal in shape, adapted to the natural terrain. At the corners were five protruding defensive towers, connected by a rampart 2 m wide and 12 m high, with archer’s walkways. The towers vary in shapes and sizes. The eastern part of the fortress was best defended, as it housed the keep–donjon tower, the residential palace, economic facilities along the western rampart, and a series of grain pits. All structures were built of brick, with stone used for decorative elements.
From the outside, the fortress appeared well-fortified, powerful, and beautifully shaped, dominating the fertile Bačka plain. Of particular interest was the circular tower with balconies resting on stone consoles. Inside, the tower with a Gothic chapel on the upper floor stood out, as well as the donjon tower—the most prominent structure of the fortress. It has a regular square base, oriented diagonally toward the cardinal directions, with a separate spiral staircase on the northwest side and protruding latrines on the northeast façade. The palaces were adorned with terracotta elements created in the spirit of early Italian Renaissance.
Bač first fell into Ottoman hands in 1526, after the Battle of Mohács, led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The role of “Emperor” Jovan Nenad was recorded, as he recaptured Bač in 1527, and after his death, Serbian despot Stefan Berisavljević attempted to strengthen the defensive system along this section of the Danube. The Ottomans finally seized the Bač fortress in 1529, though they established full control only after 14 years. During the long period of Ottoman domination, the fortress lay deep in the hinterland with a small garrison. Valuable information about Bač, the fortress, and the suburb was left by Evliya Çelebi. During his visit to Bač in 1665, he wrote, among other things: “It is a wonderful fortress on a lake that receives its water from the Danube; it has a quadrangular shape and is entirely built of brick… In this town, there is another great tower; it is a true cosmorama, facing the lake. On it there is a beautiful resting place, seemingly an imperial one. It is a castle as lovely as Havernek; here all the enlightened and honest friends from the town gather to rest and enjoy themselves.”
Judging by documents and old engravings, the town did not suffer significant damage during its liberation from the Ottomans in 1686.
During Rákóczi’s uprising, Bač suffered great losses, and the fortress was destroyed and burned on several occasions. After being mined in 1704, the fortress was abandoned. Unable to defend anyone anymore, it began a new life—as glorious ruins. It attracted treasure hunters and generations of people who, for nearly two and a half centuries, carried away its bricks and stones.
In 1948, the Fortress of Bač was granted the status of a cultural monument, which halted further decay and carrying away of its materials, and opened the path toward organized preservation efforts. (Text by Slavica Vujović, PhD architect-conservator)