St. Lawrence Fortress Lovrijenac Fortezza di San Lorenzo | |
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Dubrovnik Dalmatia Croatia | |
Coordinates | 42°38′27″N 18°06′16″E / 42.640731°N 18.104412°E |
Type | Fort / Fortress |
Site information | |
Owner | City of Dubrovnik, Croatia |
Controlled by | Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Well-preserved or intact |
Site history | |
Built by | Dubrovnik citizens |
Materials | Limestone |
Fort Lovrijenac or St. Lawrence Fortress, Italian Fortezza di San Lorenzo, often called "Dubrovnik's Gibraltar", is a fortress and theater outside the western wall of the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia, 37 metres (121 ft) above sea level.[1] Famous for its plays and importance in resisting Venetian rule, it overshadows the two entrances to the city, from the sea, and by land. Early in the 11th century, the Venetians attempted to build a fort on the same spot where Fort Lovrijenac currently stands. If they had succeeded, they would have kept Dubrovnik under their power, but the people of the city beat them to it. The "Chronicles of Ragusa" reveal how the fort was built within just three months and from then on constantly reconstructed. When the Venetian ships arrived, full of materials for the construction of the fort, they were told to return to Venice. The Croatian leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes place in Lovrijenac.