The fortified town (castrum) of Ključ

Abstract

Based on archival and field research, this study presents the remains of the fortified town (castrum) of Ključ in eastern Herzegovina. This medieval stronghold, whose traces, topographic position, and historical development are reinterpreted in accordance with recent research, is introduced to the academic community. As with many other medieval fortifications, there are no existing records regarding the time of its construction or the identity of its builders. Nevertheless, this fortification gained historical significance during the first three decades of the 15th century, when it served as the seat of the powerful Bosnian duke Sandalj Hranić. It continued to hold strategic importance under his nephew and successor, Duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, who also resided there frequently. Although mentioned by various authors in the context of the history of Herzegovina, the Kosača noble family, and other topics related to the region’s medieval past, the fortress of Ključ has generally been devoted less scholarly attention than other fortifications in Herzegovina. The primary aim of this study is to reconstruct the historical development of the Ključ fortress by analysing written and visual sources as well as existing architectural remains. To achieve this, several key research questions are posed: Who were the builders of this fortification? What was the nature of its architectural development? What was its geostrategic role, particularly during the anti-Ottoman wars of the 1460s? And finally, what did the immediate surroundings of the Ključ fortress look like, given that historical sources mention two settlements in its vicinity?

The best-preserved part of the complex is the Upper Town, which includes two larger towers (a donjon and the southeastern tower), as well as the remains of three smaller, so-called »false« towers. In addition, the eastern rampart with the main entrance to the Upper Town has been preserved almost at its original height. The Ključ fortress was the centre of a smaller urban agglomeration, most likely composed of two distinct settlements or quarters. The first, known as Podključ, developed on the steep southwestern slopes below the fortress, approximately one hundred meters below the mosque, in the area of Stoci, where today a modern (mostly tourist) settlement exists. The second quarter emerged during the High Middle Ages under the name Cernica, situated at the intersection of the Dubrovnik road and the path connecting it to the fortress. Due to the importance of this settlement in the late Middle Ages, its name eventually came to designate the broader area around the Ključ fortress, which was often referred to as being located »in Cernica«.