Pirot Fortress or Momchilov grad (''Momchilo's fortress'',
Serbian and
Bulgarian: Момчилов град) is situated in
Pirot,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
. It was built in the 14th century by Bulgarian brigand and local ruler
Momchil
Momchil ( bg, Момчил, el, Μομ ζίλος or Μομιτζίλας, sr, Момчило / Momčilo; – 7 July 1345) was a 14th-century Bulgarian brigand and local ruler. Initially a member of a bandit gang in the borderlands ...
.
[; ] In 1344, the regency concluded a further alliance with Bulgaria, which required the surrender of Philippopolis (
Plovdiv) and nine other towns in northern Thrace along the river Evros. Nevertheless, after their occupation,
Ivan Alexander refrained from direct action against
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under ...
' forces operating in southern and eastern Thrace. At the same time,
Momchil
Momchil ( bg, Момчил, el, Μομ ζίλος or Μομιτζίλας, sr, Момчило / Momčilo; – 7 July 1345) was a 14th-century Bulgarian brigand and local ruler. Initially a member of a bandit gang in the borderlands ...
, a former
brigand
Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery.Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first recorded us ...
whom Kantakouzenos had entrusted with control over the
Merope (region) in the
Rhodope mountains, switched over to the regency.
It was supposed to serve as a defense against the Turks along the ancient Roman road called
Via Militaris (Military Road) which connected
Belgrade to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
.
Pirot Fortress was declared
Monument of Culture of Great Importance Immovable Cultural Heritage of Exceptional Importance ( sr, Непокретна културна добра од изузетног значаја/) are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjoy the highest level of state protection ...
in 1979, and it is protected by
Republic of Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
.
Pirotski grad
/ref>
See also
* Monuments of Culture of Great Importance
* Tourism in Serbia
Tourism in Serbia is officially recognized as a primary area for economic and social growth. The hotel and catering sector accounted for approximately 2.2% of GDP in 2015. Tourism in Serbia employs some 75,000 people, about 3% of the country's wo ...
References
External links
Association of fortresses and remnants of fortified towns in Serbia
Pirot
Pirotski grad
SANU web-site, at www.spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs
Pirot.Org
Web portal and forum of municipality of Pirot
Medieval Serbian architecture
Forts in Serbia
Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia)
Buildings and structures in Pirot
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