About twenty kilometers of the picturesque coast of the warm Adriatic Sea is occupied by the ancient Croatian town of Kastela and its ancient stone castles. This land once belonged to seven separate settlements, each of which had its citadel, designed to protect civilians from the regular raids of the Ottoman soldiers.

The very first castle in Kastela was Sucurac, built by the order of the Archbishop of Split Andrea Gvaldo at the end of the 14th century. This great defensive fortress was intended to protect the settlement of Putalj, found on the slope of Mount Kozjak. It was decided to lay the castle’s foundation in a wonderful natural area not far from the ancient church of St. Juraj. Likely, the name of the castle is connected with the name of St. George, or, as the locals call St. Juraj, the patron saint of Kastela. By the way, the castle became the summer residence of the archbishop.

For more than a hundred years, Sucurac Castle had repeatedly been rebuilt and expanded until it acquired its final appearance in 1509. This is what modern travelers see: the castle with high lancet windows that overlook the courtyard. By the way, the courtyard houses the exhibition center “Podvorje” and its collections of artifacts discovered in the settlement of Putalj. Unfortunately, the church built at the castle at the beginning of the 16th century has not survived: it was destroyed as a result of numerous bombings in 1943. Only its bell tower remains.

Today, the castle comprises the church of Our Lady, which is not as old as the one that was destroyed but no less beautiful. Besides, it keeps authentic works of sacred art, like ancient wooden and stone sculptures, church utensils made of precious metals, copies of documents dated to 852, telling the history of Sucurac Castle and its surroundings. The particularly noteworthy items are antique jewelry inlaid with precious stones.