Captivated by Croatia – Topana Fortress, Imotski!
Captivated by Croatia – Topana Fortress, Imotski!
First Impressions & The Spirit of Imotski
Mentioning the town of Imotski brings different associations to everyone’s mind. Some will immediately think of Mercedes cars, some of football, some of the deep connection between the people of Imotski and Zagreb, or emigration in general (Munich), while others will think of something else entirely. Some picture hardworking people born from stone and karst, praising the town, while others offer criticism or ridicule.
I, however, will tell you about the fortress above the town—a settlement built on the foundations of the Old Croatian parish (župa) of Emothe, which served as the center of a broader region known as Imotska Krajina. Today, the town extends over an area of 626 $\text{km}^2$.
Arrival at the Mighty Topana
After visiting “Matan’s Courts” (Matanovi dvori), my interest was sparked by the mighty Topana Fortress. Strategically perched since ancient times on a cliff above Blue Lake (Modro jezero), right next to the Gospin Dolac stadium, it overlooks the town and a good portion of Imotska Krajina.
So, after a few minutes’ walk from the aforementioned courts of the famous TV series “Beggars and Sons” (Prosjaci i sinovi), here I am at the dominant Topana. In the late afternoon, I explore the fortress with a brisk step, searching for the best camera angles.
Legends, Cannons, and Borders
I must immediately mention an interesting legend: it is the story of firing cannonballs from Topana Fortress to establish the demarcation line between the Ottoman Turks and the Venetians in 1717. Due to the semicircular arc of the fired cannonballs, the current border with neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina still has a semicircular shape right around Imotski.
The fortress was named after a special tower-platform designed to hold cannons, and its origins date back to the 10th century. Additional context for its name can be found among the sparse information on the town’s official website: in military-technical terminology, topana (derived from the Turkish tophana) is a foundry and/or a storage facility for cannons. Located in the northeastern part of the fortress, it was built during the Candian War around 1663.
Overlooking Blue Lake: A Winter Vista
In modern times, the fortress serves as a venue for various cultural events and stands as a tourist viewpoint offering a breathtaking view of the town and Blue Lake. Serpentines built over 100 years ago lead down to the lake itself. Blue Lake on a gloomy January day—like the day I visited—is an awe-inspiring sight. You almost want to reach out and touch the water’s surface or skip a stone across it. Many actually try, confusing the story with the impossible feat of throwing a stone into Red Lake (Crveno jezero), which is said to be impossible. Could a throw into one of Croatia’s two “Loch Ness” lakes be possible here? I had no one to ask! Let me know if you find out.
A piece of advice, though: do not throw stones into Blue Lake, as people sometimes swim there—and when it completely dries up, a local football match is played on the lake bed. This traditional lake derby, “bigger” than the Champions League final, is played between locals: the Warlocks versus the Elves (Vukodlaci protiv Vilenjaka).
A Heritage Written in Stone
Back to Topana, Marijan!
From the fortress, the view stretches over the town of Imotski across stone, various evergreens, and brambles. It is the town of Tin Ujević (I recommend his poem Pilgrimage Across Zagora), as well as Dr. Mate Ujević, Vlado Gotovac, Bruno Bušić, Ivan Raos, Mate Parlov, and many others (including football legends Gudelj, Buljan, and Boban).
The fortress was inhabited until the 19th century and housed all the rulers of this area. Historical records indicate that Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus mentioned the Imotski County (županija) in the mid-10th century as one of the eleven Croatian counties, with its seat already located high on these harsh, bare stone cliffs. It is assumed that the fortress was built during the reign of the Croatian Duke Trpimir (845–864). During renovation works in the 1980s, a stone pilaster with early medieval interlace ornamentation (pleter) dating from the 9th/10th century was discovered. Today, it is part of the treasury at the Imotski Heritage Museum. Other historical artifacts from prehistory to the present day are preserved in both the Heritage Museum and the Museum Collection of the Franciscan Monastery.
Modern Conservation and Architectural Critiques
The only eyesore on the fortress is the ugly, cold metal railing and stairs leading to the cannon platform. Timber would certainly have been a far more appropriate choice within a historical stone structure, though it would require more maintenance than the gray metal eyesore currently on the ancient fortification. The old town core of Imotski was likewise built using carved stone.
To mark the 300th anniversary of Imotski’s liberation from Ottoman rule, the first conservation works on the fortress began and were completed in 2017. Over the following two years, part of the lighting was installed, along with the aforementioned ugly metal stairs and railing.
Sanctuary Within: The Church of Our Lady of the Angels
The entrance to the fortress is guarded by massive copper doors. Immediately upon passing through them, you come across the small Church of Our Lady of the Angels (Gospa od Anđela). Our Lady of the Angels is the patron saint of the town of Imotski and the entire Imotska Krajina region, where the famous folk ballad Hasanaginica was reportedly created. Both the fortress and the church are protected cultural monuments.
Not much historical data remains about the church itself. It was built in 1718, and adjacent to it stands the home of the first parish priest. August 2nd is a crucial date in Imotski’s history: on that day in 1717, the Venetian army liberated Imotska Krajina after nearly 230 years of Ottoman rule. Holy Mass and other eucharistic solemnities are held then, including a grand procession in honor of Our Lady, which concludes at this site. This date is celebrated as the Town Day (Dan grada).
The painting of Our Lady was placed in its current silver-and-gold frame only about a decade ago. Our Lady of the Angels also has its own version of the hymn Slava Deloriti titled O, dobra Majko (“Oh, Good Mother”). A Pelješac version of the same hymn exists as well.
Below Topana sits a monument dedicated to Croatian defenders—crafted by academic sculptor Kruno Bošnjak—and a flight of 92 stone steps leading all the way to the town center and the main square, ending next to the monument of one of Croatia’s greatest poets, Tin Ujević.
Extended History & Architectural Profile
Historical Timeline
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By the end of the 15th century, Imotski had fallen under Ottoman rule, and the fortress became the administrative seat of the Imotski qadi (judge and partial civil administrator of the wider area). After nearly 230 years under Turkish rule, the fortress came under Venetian control in 1717. Following several days of bombardment and the capture of the settlement below the fort, the Turks surrendered and retreated toward Ljubuški and Mostar. The town was liberated on the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels (August 2).
Following the Ottoman departure in 1717, Venice sent the famous Trogir master builder Ivan Macanović to Imotski to repair the fortress, restoring the main entrance and walls. Once the Ottoman threat ended, the fortress lost its strategic value and was abandoned in 1816, marking the start of its decay. It was heavily damaged in the early 20th century by the construction of a water reservoir on its highest platform.
Fortress Layout and Defenses
The fortress has an irregular shape that follows the contours of the cliff on which it stands, measuring about 40 meters in length. Built on several levels, its visible remains date from the 14th to the 18th centuries, with earlier layers preserved archaeologically. It is naturally protected on three sides: two sides by the lake, and the third by a deep, dry sinkhole (Jelavića dolac or Gospin dolac), where the town stadium stands today. The southern wall of the fort was somewhat more accessible, so a wall reinforced with buttresses was constructed there as an extension of the natural rock face. The fortress is surrounded by stone ramparts with loop-holes for firearms, roughly 1.5 meters thick, which were heavily modified in the late Middle Ages due to the advent of new firearms.
The upper part of the fortress is divided into two sections: a higher level with an entrance on the northeastern corner (which housed living quarters, water cisterns, and dungeons), and a lower level featuring the main entrance (above which stood the priest’s quarters) and the 18th-century Church of Our Lady of the Angels. The lower part of the fortress lies on the southern side and was defended by a wall with a round tower (preserved to the left of the main entrance) and partially by wooden palisades.
Liberation and the Sacred Painting
Prior to the liberation of Imotski and the region from the Turks, there was only one Catholic family in Imotski and two in Glavina. The Turks had their main mosque in Imotski at the top of the Skaline steps, in the Bazana area. There was no mosque inside Topana.
Imotski fell into Christian hands on July 31, 1717. The celebration was held two days later, on August 2, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels.
A small church dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels was immediately built in the lower section of the fortress. Franciscan friars commissioned her painting using alms collected from the faithful. An unknown master painted it on three joined wooden boards, depicting Our Lady being carried into heavenly glory by angels, measuring $80 \times 60\text{ cm}$.
The painting fit into a niche above the altar. Due to the cramped space, the parish priest—Imotski native Friar Jerolim Bauk—abandoned the old church in 1778 and replaced it with the present one.
Marijan Lukić Luky
Link: https://lukylipik-vrijemeodluke.blogspot.com/2025/01/oci-pune-hrvatske-tvrava-topana-imotski.html
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