BAČ FORTRESS – Bač

BAČ FORTRESS – Bač

Bač Fortress is the oldest medieval fortress in Vojvodina.

Bač was once a renowned town, after which the entire vast and fertile plain between the Danube and the Tisza rivers, known as Bačka, was named. Throughout different historical periods, the territory of the Municipality of Bač was exposed to the influence of numerous peoples, cultures and civilisations, traces of which can still be seen at every turn. During construction work in Bač, remains of an ancient civilisation were discovered and subsequently identified as dating from the Neolithic period.

The earliest written references to Bač and the surrounding area date back to the time of Justinian, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who mentioned Bač in a letter written in 535 AD. The Arab geographer and traveller Al-Idrisi completed his Geography in 1154, describing Bač as an important and prosperous town with numerous merchants, craftsmen and Greek scholars, where fairs were held. Ten years later, in 1164, during military operations between Byzantium and Hungary, the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos crossed the Danube towards Bač.

Bač experienced considerable growth during the 12th century. It was during this period that a powerful fortress was first mentioned in written sources. The fortress was destroyed and rebuilt several times, and its surviving remains continue to attract the interest of researchers and tourists. Frequent Ottoman incursions were recorded from the 14th century onwards, and many military campaigns against the Ottomans were launched from Bač. The town also provided cavalry for the Battle of Mohács. However, the Ottoman advance could not be stopped, and Bač was conquered in 1526, following the Battle of Mohács and the fall of Belgrade. According to historical accounts, Despot Stefan Berislavić defended the fortress for a considerable period.

According to some chronicles, a wooden Avar fortification stood on the site of the present-day fortress as early as 873. In 1241, the Mongols captured the fortress and the town and established their own fortification. The present-day fortress was built between 1338 and 1342, during the reign of the Hungarian King Charles Robert of Anjou. At that time, a square tower was constructed as an important element in the town’s defence.

The fortress stands on a slight elevation above the town and was once surrounded on all sides by water from the Mostonga River, the former course of which remains visible today. Access to the fortress was provided by a movable wooden bridge.

Following the Battle of Mohács, the town and fortress came under Ottoman rule in 1529. Bač subsequently became part of the Sanjak of Szeged within the administrative structure of the Ottoman Empire. During Rákóczi’s uprising, from 1703 to 1711, the fortress suffered extensive destruction and damage, was burnt and was eventually abandoned permanently.

The fortress has an irregular pentagonal ground plan. Its massive, damaged walls reveal the remains of four lateral towers and a central keep, known as the donjon. Standing 22 metres tall, the keep served as a key element of the defensive system and as a lookout tower.

Bač Fortress is one of the most compelling witnesses to the rich historical past of the Municipality of Bač and is undoubtedly a monument of exceptional importance to medieval culture.

 

Tourism Organisation of the Municipality of Bač, 4 Dr Zorana Đinđića Square, Bač
+381 (0)21 60 72 222
[email protected]
www.turizambac.rs/

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