Kamerlengo Castle or Gradina Kamerlengo in
Croatian started with a Veriga Tower that was constructed in the
14th century by the Genoese to keep check on sudden enemy attacks.
The fortress was built soon after the takeover of the city by the
Republic of Venice in 1420 by Mayor Marin Radojev according to the
plans of the Venetian military engineer Pincino da Bergamo. It is
part of the expansion of the Veriga tower (Tower of Chains), which
was built in the same place in 1380. The exterior walls were once
decorated with the coats of arms of Pietro Loredan, a Venetian
admiral, the doge Francesco Foscari and Trogir's prince Magdaleno
Contarini.
Originally the fort was surrounded by a moat and
on the north and east side a large wall supported the defense of the
castle. The main entrance on the north side had a drawbridge. The
lord of the castle and his crew lived in houses in the courtyard.
They were destroyed in the 19th century together with the chapel of
Saint Mark. The name of the castle
takes roots from Italian camerlengo that roughly translates as
chamberlain or an administrative official. Today it serves as place
for performances in summer months. After massive restoration upper
parts of the towers and walls became accessible to the tourists.
The word kamerlengo (Italian camerlengo) refers to the title of chamberlain, a Venetian administrative official. The building ensemble is used for events in summer.
History
In 1380, the Tower of Chains was
erected on the site of the future fortress.
The Kamerlengo
was built after 1420, when Trogir became part of the Venetian
Republic. The fortress defended the channel and port. The walls of
the fortification were decorated with the lion of St. Mark (the
symbol of the Venetian Republic), the coats of arms of the Doge
Francesco Foscari, the Venetian admiral Pietro Loredana and the
Trogir prince Maddaleno Contarini.
Camerlengo was built
according to the project of the Venetian military engineer Pinzino
from Bergamo under the guidance of the master Marino Radoe.
The fortification was surrounded by a moat, and on the north and
east sides - by a high embankment. The main gate with a lunette and
a drawbridge was located in the north.
The buildings in the
courtyard of the castle, where the castellan (castle keeper) and the
guards lived, as well as the chapel of St. Mark were destroyed in
the 19th century.
Modernity
The fortress is used as a
museum. There is an observation deck on the tower. Directly to the
northern wall of the fortress there is a football stadium with a
capacity of about 1,000 spectators, where the local football club
Trogir hosts guest teams. On the opposite side, the St. Mark's Tower
adjoins the field, once connected with the Camerlengo.
In the
summer, festivals, theatrical performances, carnivals and concerts
are held in the huge open space inside the fortress.