The City Fortress Tower

The tower (torre civica) as it stands today is a remnant of the medieval fortress wall of Lovran. It is situated on the western side to the historical core. A massive tower, having a square ground plan, is made of chiseled stone blocks and it has a loggia which has been reclaimed for another use. The upper part of the tower was annexed in the 17th century. Housed in a modern one-story structure at the foot of the fortress tower is the Charles Billich art gallery. Next to the tower is Franul Palace, better known as the "Palazzetto Comunale", in renaissance style, and on the transem of the entry door is a 1722 century base relief of St. George on horseback in the act of killing the dragon with his sword.

According to one account, the city fortress was built in the 13th century as part of the city's feudal fortifications. Another account dates it to one century earlier and links it to the first Crusaders, but there is no corroborative evidence of this in readily available documented sources. Either way, the castle undoubtedly kept the Turks, the Venetians, the Uskoks and other marauders at bay while a thriving shipbuilding industry was being established in Lovran. Protected by the high Učka mountain (1396 m), surrounded by pine, oak, bay and chestnut forests, the landscape around Lovran has always been blessed by a plentiful and useful variety of timber suitable for shipbuilding so that ships continued to be built there for centuries. Over the centuries, the city and fortifications were destroyed twice in the wars between the Venetians and the Uskoks, then rebuilt, altered and adapted to a host of different uses.

Modern Times

In 1999, a new reconstruction transformed the city fortress into an atelier for Istrian-born Carlo (Charles) Billich, a renowned Australian painter. The City Council of Lovran gave Billich permission to use the tower on a rental basis and on the condition that it would also be open to the public. The architects that were selected for the project are two natives from nearby Rijeka (Fiume): Sasa Randic and Idis Turado who had formed a partnership in their native city in 1992.

Left: Entrance to the fortress. Middle: View of the staircase and walls of the third floor. Right: View of the preserved medieval fortress walls, floor construction and staircases that are made of steel

On their website, the architects describe their reconstruction project thusly:

"Desired gradations of privacy led to an internal organization whereby a public gallery occupies the ground floor and the atelier is on the upper floor. The interior space of the fortress is relatively small (6x6 meters). During the previous reconstruction, the fortress was returned to its original shape and all floor constructions were demolished. Due to the fortress' spectacular interior and the demand that it remain public, the implanted construction sought to be as transparent and neutral as possible. New construction and staircases are made of steel beams, columns and roof plates. New floors are not divided but are organised as a row of gallery spaces vertically connected by a single flight of stairs. Facilities such as a kitchen and toilettes are contained within the existing niches of the thick stone walls."


Above: view of the tower and Communal Palace.

Right: view of the belltower of the Church of St. George, built in the 12th, and the city center. (Photo by F. Pavecevac)

Sources:

  • http://www.randic-turato.hr/projects/projects.htm
  • http://www.billich.info/fortezza_gallery.html
  • http://kulturna-dobra-pgz.posluh.hr/lovran/egradjevine.htm
  • Photo - Franko Pavicevac
  • http://www.templarhistory.com/who.html
  • S.J. Skunca, Istarska Enciklopedija, Leksikografski Zavod 'Miroslav Krlež' (Zagreb, 2005) - http://www.lzmk.hr/Index.aspx

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Created: Saturday, August 06, 2005; :Last Upated: Friday, November 19, 2021
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