- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 1428 · 15th century
- Location
- Podunavlje, Serbia
- Coordinates
- 44.6686°, 20.9292°
History
When Belgrade passed to Hungary in 1427, Despot Đurađ Branković resolved to build a new capital where the Jezava flows into the Danube. Work began in 1428, and within a few years a triangular fortress had risen, with an inner Small Town and a vast Large Town defended by more than twenty towers. The Ottomans first took it in 1439, but it returned to the despot in 1444. The final fall of Smederevo in 1459 marked the end of the medieval Serbian state. The Ottomans added artillery defences and in 1867 handed the fortress over to the Serbs. In 1941 an explosion of ammunition stored here destroyed part of the walls and the town.
What to see
Walls about one and a half kilometres long enclose a large area by the Danube that you can wander freely. The best preserved part is the Small Town with the towers of the despot's former palace. On one tower you can see a cross laid in brick and an inscription naming Đurađ Branković and the year of construction. The fortress hosts festivals, concerts and performances.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q2588696
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