Resumen de Gripe Fortress the key defence element of Split
In the late 16th and the first half of the 17th century, Split had great economic significance for the Venetian Republic by being a port through which’s Lazaret an exchange and disinfection of goods took place between the Venetians and the Ottomans. Unfortunately, these were also politically turbulent times between the two forces, culminating in the outbreak of the War of Candia in 1645. Due to these circumstances, the Venetians devoted themselves to improving the defence of Split through several stages, and the overall system, completed in the second half of the 17th century, was comprised of three detached parts - a bastion ring around the city and two separate fortresses - Gripe and Bačvice. The Gripe Fortress, located on a hill east of the city, was crucial for its defence due to the strategic position, recognized even by a famous military engineer Antoine de Ville in 1630. He suggested constructing on the hill a fortress in the form of tenaglia, and it was done between 1647-51. This was followed by a series of modifications, aiming to reinforce this position even further by applying various fortification systems and elements. In the last stage, the northwestern bastion was constructed according to the Onofrio del Campo’s design, but it was demolished as early as in 1663, so the common opinion was that it had never been built. Recent archaeological research has revealed its remains, thus proving its existence, just as the author of this article has proved through her theoretical research. (1)
