Minčeta, Dubrovnik

Minčeta is the great circular tower rising from Dubrovnik’s walls, and its massive form once served as a powerful landward defence. Its name comes from the Menčetić noble family, whose land was given for the construction. The tower began as a square structure in 1319, built under Nićifor Ranjina.

After the fall of Constantinople, plans changed: from 1461, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo surrounded it with a broad round fortification, with walls six metres thick and openings for cannon. Juraj Dalmatinac then continued the work and shaped the tower’s present appearance; Paskoje Miličević completed it in 1464. Look at the projecting crown supported by carved stone brackets: that upper addition came later. Minčeta is the highest point of Dubrovnik’s walls, giving its exceptional prominence among the city’s landmarks.