Bastion Bembo

The place where you are is known as the largest artillery position in the entire fortress complex. It was named after Marco Bembo, the first governor of Klis, and the current form of the bastion dates back to the mid-17th century, when it was built on the site of the former Kružić Tower. Bembo Bastion represents the pinnacle of the fortification architecture of Klis Fortress, whose development was conditioned by complex historical circumstances and the need to defend against increasingly powerful enemies, especially the Ottoman Empire. While Klis Fortress went through numerous phases of construction and renovation over the centuries, Bembo is a symbol of technical and strategic progress in the design of defensive structures of that era. Architecturally, Bembo is a polygonal bastion, with massive stone walls that are up to several meters thick in some parts. Its construction was adapted to accommodate a large number of cannons, which allowed for powerful fire at the enemy from different directions. High parapets protected the defenders from enemy missiles, while wide corridors and rooms within the bastion served to accommodate soldiers, store ammunition and weapons, and coordinate defense. The position of the Bembo bastion on the western side of the fortress was strategically extremely important because it controlled access to the Klis Plain and the main roads leading to the interior of Dalmatia. From this location, the defenders could effectively monitor and defend the approaches to the fortress, preventing the enemy from penetrating deeper into the territory. During centuries of conflict, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, Bembo was a key position in the defense of the fortress from Ottoman and other attacks. Historically, the Bembo bastion was created as a result of the need to modernize the fortress at a time when firearms and artillery were becoming dominant in warfare. The construction of the bastion in the middle of the 17th century was part of a wider project for the fortification of the Klis fortress in accordance with the principles of bastion fortification, which enabled better coverage by fire and the reduction of dead zones in defense. Inside the bastion were rooms for the accommodation of soldiers, storage for gunpowder and ammunition, as well as work rooms for the maintenance of weapons. This complex infrastructure enabled the long-term defense of the fortress even during months-long sieges, which was of crucial importance in the turbulent times of the Ottoman-Venetian conflicts.