St. Mark's Tower
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In front of you is St. Mark's Tower – a stone guardian of Trogir overlooking the sea. Built at the end of the 14th century, at a time when the city was constantly threatened by danger from the sea, the tower was a key part of the defense system developed by the Venetians after they took power. Together with the Kamerlengo fortress, St. Mark's Tower closed the sea entrance to the Trogir harbor. A strong iron chain was stretched between them, which served as a real obstacle in times of danger – ships without permission could not pass. It was a defense without compromise. The details on its exterior are also unique – the Venetian lion of St. Mark (a symbol of Venice) was depicted in relief and the coat of arms of Prince Antonio de Canal, whose reign marked the completion of the tower's construction at the end of the 15th century. This lion was later severely damaged, because in 1932, young men demolished it in an "incident" of a pro-Italian nature, since it symbolized Venetian rule. Within the massive stone walls of the tower were five “casemates” – small rooms for soldiers with round openings, so-called loopholes, which enabled the effective defense of all approaches and the elimination of “dead angles”. Such a distribution of defensive positions was extremely advanced for that time and increased the safety of the defenders. The tower was not only a barrier – but also the eyes of the city. Signals were transmitted from it to other observation posts, announcing the arrival of ships or warning of threats. When there was no state of war, it served as a storage for gunpowder, weapons and equipment. Over time, the defensive function waned, but the tower remained present – first as a warehouse, then as a landmark for fishermen and sailors. During the Homeland War, it was reactivated as an observation post. After more than six centuries, it once again looked out to sea with the same purpose: to protect the city. Today it stands as a silent witness to all the times that Trogir has gone through – from the threats of pirates to modern conflicts.