VRDNIK TOWER

The Bulwark of Fruška Gora

The Vrdnik Tower, a remnant of the former fortified town of Vrdnik, is situated on the southern slopes of Fruška Gora at an altitude of 400 meters, not far from the spa resort of the same name. It is a fortification structure that dominates the whole area, offering fabulous views of the surrounding forests and plains of Srem from its top. The tower served as a central point of the fortification, a watchtower, and the last line of defence. However, it was only a part of a well-fortified complex that deserves attention as a whole. Today, the Vrdnik Tower, with its massive walls and immediate surroundings, is declared an immovable cultural property of great importance and is under state protection as one of the rare examples of preserved defence fortifications in Vojvodina.

Historical records about this fortification are scarce. During the Middle Ages, the town appears in Hungarian and papal documents as Castrum Rednek. The first mention of Vrdnik in sources dates from 1315 as one of the estates of Archbishop Dimitrije of Kalocsa. According to the writings, Vrdnik was granted the right to hold weekly fairs from that year onwards, which was considered an important privilege. Presumably, a much earlier fortification existed at this location. Some artefacts from the period of Roman Tetrarchy and Emperor Probus (276-282 AD), who ruled over this part of the Roman Empire from Sirmium, were discovered during the site’s exploration. That implies that the original fortification on this spot was built as a watchtower or the capital’s outpost, representing an integral part of the defensive system designed for protection against the invasion of peoples advancing from the direction of Banat and Bačka.

ABOVE: Map of the site

ABOVE: Remains of the fortified town of Vrdnik

The later fortification, of which only the 18-meter-high tower remains today, was constructed in the 14^th century. It was a classic medieval keep with observation slits, serving as the defenders’ last resort in case the enemy breached the fortification. Its role was probably to protect the access to an important road leading from Ruma to the Danube, near present-day Rakovac, where the Dumbovo Castle, the centre of the abbey, may have been located. After the Ottoman invasion of this region, Vrdnik served as an Ottoman fortification for some time. Based on a preserved description of the area from 1702, written by a papal visitor, the fortress had already been destroyed.

The town had an elongated, semicircular layout, measuring 50 by 60 meters. The gate on the eastern part of the rampart was approachable via a drawbridge over a dry defensive moat. An entrance tower, rectangular on the inside and rounded on the outside, stood beside the gate. Reinforcements, or buttresses, are still visible on the preserved part of the southern wall. The massive keep with an elongated semicircular base dominates the fortification even today. The doorway was on the first floor, most likely accessible by a ladder. The walls were constructed from „brown stone,” with the upper sections made of bricks, likely appended later. Excavations conducted in front of the entrance tower before the Second World War discovered walls that surrounded the suburbium, separated by a wall from the main fortress. Elaborate explorations of this site began in 2015. The trial trenches opened within the complex testify to the intense life of the fortification, which was destroyed, repaired, and rebuilt several times over the centuries. Among the unearthed archaeological finds stand out the imported objects from Italy, such as the glass cups and bottles, along with pieces of majolica—the luxurious ceramic dishware of the time.

ABOVE: The keep was built on the highest point and has a wonderful view of surrounding nature

A Legend of Radovan and Ikonija

In the Middle Ages, Duke Mirko ruled over the fortress. He had a son, Radovan, and a daughter, Ikonija. Radovan had been at war for seven years and had not returned home. Meanwhile, Ikonija came of age to be married, but in her brother’s absence, she was raised as if she were a man. She ran swiftly and was skilled in fencing and archery. Unsure who should be a worthy suitor for her, Duke Mirko called upon heroes from all parts of the country to compete with Ikonija in a race against the stag, mace throwing, and falcon archery challenge. Whoever could match or surpass her would win her hand in marriage. Of all the heroes, only one mysterious fellow in a strange outfit, with a long moustache and a beard, managed to defeat her. Unsatisfied with this stranger, Ikonija refused to marry him. She poured poison into two goblets of wine, that both of them drank. At that moment, the unknown hero cast off his cloak, removed his beard and moustache, and yelled: „My sister Ikonija, I am your brother Radovan. It was just a joke.” In that instant, both of them fell dead. Upon seeing this, Duke Mirko, overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, also died.

Translation: Marija Stamenković