The whole city was enclosed in the 13th century, expect for the Dominican monastery, which came under protection only in the 14th century. The average thickness of the wall was 1.5 metres and they were built of stone and lime. To increase the strength of the walls and ensure better defence, 15 square forts were built in the 14th century. Extensive work was done on the walls towards the close of the 14th century at the time of the final liberation from Venetian supremacy. The main wall on the land side is 4 to 6 metres thick, but narrower on the sea side between 1.5 and 3 metres thick. Its height reaches 25 metres in some places. The wall on the land side is protected by an additional wall as defence against artillery fire. To increase the strength of the walls and ensure better defence, 15 square forts were built in the 14th century. Four main forts protect the walls corners. To the north the Tower Minčeta, the port is protected by the Fortress of St John and the detached Fortress Revelin, while the western entrance is guarded by the strong Fortress Bokar. The Bokar Tower was built in 1453 to protect the Pile Gate and the little port that lay in the bay below. A separate fortress also protects the city from the sea; this is the detached fortress of Lovrijenac. The famous fortress Lovrijenac was built upon a sheer rock 37 meters high overlooking the sea. In additional to these powerful towers the city walls are protected by 2 round forts, 12 quadrilateral forts, 5 bastions and 2 corner towers. The protection they offered the city was such that these walls were never breached. The most prominent point in the defence towards the land is the round tower Minčeta. The name derives from the Menčetić family, who owned the ground on which the tower was built. The Pile gate has been the main entrance to the city for centuries, and the whole area outside the walls was so named. The gate got its present shape in 1537 when the outer semi-circular tower with a Renaissance arch was built and the statue of St Blasius, the patron saint of Dubrovnik, was set into it. The approach to the gate is over a stone bridge and a wooden drawbridge, suspended on chains, which was lifted every evening with great ceremony. This bridge spans the deep protective ditch which was systematically dug along the city walls.


CITY WALLS FACTFILE
Length - 1940 metres
Height – Up to 25 metres
Width – Land side 4 to 6 metres, sea side 1.5 to 3 metres
It is listed in the UNESCO register of world cultural monument heritage

Source: The Dubrovnik Times

Photo: The city walls