The Rector's Palace in Šibenik is part of the coastal defense
system of the city of Šibenik and was built in the 13th and 14th
centuries. It is located near the Cathedral of St. Jacob.
Two
wings of the once much larger building in which the city prince
(captain), the highest representative of the state government in
Šibenik, lived have been preserved from the original palace.
The south wing extends along the coast from a square to a polygonal
tower. The square tower, known as the Tower of the Prince's Palace,
is the largest defensive structure on the coast and dates from the
14th century. Between it and the Bishop's Palace, a 16th-century
Renaissance city gate has been preserved. In the middle of the
ground floor of the south wing of the Rector's Palace is a Gothic
passage with the city gate over which is the city coat of arms with
the image of St. Michael, protector of the city.
The west
wing of the Rector's Palace faces the sacristy and the apsidal parts
of the Cathedral. At the southern end of this part are two doors of
simple stone frames, and between them a niche with a baroque
sculpture of the city prince Nikola Marcello.
In 1975, the
adaptation of the Rector's Palace was completed and the modern
functioning of the Museum of the City of Šibenik was made possible.