Doboj Fortress
Encyclopedia
Doboj Fortress or "Gradina" is located in the city of Doboj
in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
. This magnificent object has been burned and ransacked at least 18 times (per official/written record) in its history.
After the reconstruction of 1415 the Doboj fortress becomes more of a Gothic structure
and has its donjon reinforced with thick walls (up to 3 feet or 1 meter thick at the Eastern wall) as well as addition of a bastion/plateau with six cannon
on top of it. The captain's tower was the dominating feature with a very tall and square donjon (eng: dungeon) dominating the fortress. Three big towers (North-West, Eastern, and Southern Gate) strategically protected the flanks of the fortress, hence rendering any idea of an attack a suicidal attempt. The Southern tower's walls became round in order to deflect cannonballs (circa 1370-1380s) and local captains at the time used Dubrovnik-made cannons, bombards, and balistas as fortress' main defense weaponry (Dubrovnik was known as Republic of Ragusa at the time).
(under Isa-Beg) fought the Hungarian
s in the Battle of Doboj (1415). During this campaign the Hungarians (under Johannes de Gara and Johannes de Maroth) had had their main camp right under the fortress of Doboj and the main battle took place in the area of Makljenovac
, 2 kilometers away from the fortress itself.
Some 15,000 Hungarians faced the united Bosnian nobility (10,000 warriors strong, including most important Bosnian overlords - Hrvoje Vukcic, Sandalj Hranic, Pavao Radenovic, and Vuk Zlatonosovic from Usora Bannate) and their Ottoman allies (sources claim up to 15,000 + Ottoman Turks under Isa-Bey). The Hungarians were heavily defeated in this battle (most of the nobility was captured and ransomed later on) and were not to undertake any major offensive against the Turks or Bosnian kingdom until the Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448.
Doboj
Doboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and...
in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
History
One of the most important defenses in the medieval bannate/duchy of Usora, this large stone structure has been built in the early 13th century on the site of earlier, clay and wood-based structure from 10th/11th century. In the first period of its existence, (early 13th century) until the end of 14th/beginning of 15th century (1415), the fortress has been built in the Romanesque architecture styleRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
. This magnificent object has been burned and ransacked at least 18 times (per official/written record) in its history.
After the reconstruction of 1415 the Doboj fortress becomes more of a Gothic structure
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and has its donjon reinforced with thick walls (up to 3 feet or 1 meter thick at the Eastern wall) as well as addition of a bastion/plateau with six cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
on top of it. The captain's tower was the dominating feature with a very tall and square donjon (eng: dungeon) dominating the fortress. Three big towers (North-West, Eastern, and Southern Gate) strategically protected the flanks of the fortress, hence rendering any idea of an attack a suicidal attempt. The Southern tower's walls became round in order to deflect cannonballs (circa 1370-1380s) and local captains at the time used Dubrovnik-made cannons, bombards, and balistas as fortress' main defense weaponry (Dubrovnik was known as Republic of Ragusa at the time).
Role in Battle of Doboj
In the early August of the same year, Bosnian nobility with its armies (under command of The Great Bosnian Duke Hrvoje Vukcic-Hrvatinic) in the coalition with Ottoman TurksOttoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
(under Isa-Beg) fought the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
s in the Battle of Doboj (1415). During this campaign the Hungarians (under Johannes de Gara and Johannes de Maroth) had had their main camp right under the fortress of Doboj and the main battle took place in the area of Makljenovac
Makljenovac
Makljenovac is a village in the municipality of Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
, 2 kilometers away from the fortress itself.
Some 15,000 Hungarians faced the united Bosnian nobility (10,000 warriors strong, including most important Bosnian overlords - Hrvoje Vukcic, Sandalj Hranic, Pavao Radenovic, and Vuk Zlatonosovic from Usora Bannate) and their Ottoman allies (sources claim up to 15,000 + Ottoman Turks under Isa-Bey). The Hungarians were heavily defeated in this battle (most of the nobility was captured and ransomed later on) and were not to undertake any major offensive against the Turks or Bosnian kingdom until the Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448.