The History of a Mysterious Old Fortress

During my research, I learned that Fort Sokol was built on an inaccessible cliff.
The height of the castle is over twenty-five meters a natural fortress that controls the main road closest to us.

The main road leads from Konavle north into Herzegovina and the Balkan hinterland. It was the main reason this town has been inhabited since ancient times.

In August 1973 the name of the castle known as the Falcon Tower was discovered. The word Sokol from the Croatian language means falcon when translated into the English language.

After spending time reading, and paying attention to what the local people have on their minds, I discovered the town was founded much earlier than mentioned.

A prehistoric structure as an ancient fortress from a medieval town came under the authority of Dubrovnik in the year 1423.

I was interested in the history of this old mysterious castle. My daily walks close to the castle get me thinking of the ancient times around this region.

The guards that stood there and the slaves who lived behind these castle walls still remains a mystery to me.

The role of the fortress just changed over the years. The religious function of the castle has more to offer.

The prehistoric fortress also protected the inhabitants of the village and I live in this village at the moment the population is over a hundred and fifty people.

The whole of Konavle has over eight thousand people and has an area of 80.79 sq miles you are looking for (209.2 km²).

It includes Cavtat the small village of this region that is a popular tourist destination. Ancient Roman and late antiquity Byzantine fortresses had to defend the region of Konavle from external enemies and fight off the barbarians.

During the Middle Ages Konavle was mainly under the authority of the neighbouring states which gave it a special political position.

The Fort Sokol over time, no longer had to defend the neighbouring states or rulers, because they had already had their position in Konavle.

The feudal lords then enforced payments from their lands they demanded to be paid for their plots this was in Konavle from Sokol.

The arrival of people from Dubrovnik forty kilometers away changed everything. They oversaw Konavle and managed to take charge of the situation.

The revenues from the Rector's Court in Saint Martin another village called Pridvorje a not-so-far-away village from us and Sokol took on a role similar to that of Justinian’s castrum from the sixth century: as of what the defence of territory acquired from external enemies.

Throughout the fifteenth century, the Republic of Dubrovnik invested a considerable amount of financial resources to make Sokol stick out for its rich history.

The making of a fortress to be shown as powerful enough to defend Konavle and the southeastern borders of the republic showed lots of defences.

The problem with the trading republic there were far too many enemies.

Also, the rulers in the hinterland and the powerful Venetian Republic, which was seen as always lying in wait to conquer the city.

A major new power on the European mainland was unstoppable approaching the borders of the lovely Dubrovnik.

The Ottomans and Sokol played an important military role in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Interestingly enough, after the Canadian War back in 1669, the Sokol fortress lost its significance and the Dubrovnik army was forced to abandon the castle in the year 1672.

I am amazed at how everything changed in the history of the Falcon Tower the old ruins remained for years before the changes were finally made to the beautiful fortress.

After three centuries of ruins, dilapidation and oblivion followed. Finally, the association of Dubrovnik acquired the Sokol Kula (Falcon Tower).

This happened in 1966 when Dubrovnik took full control of the fortress only what was left of the huge remains.

The restoration had taken many years you are looking at least half a century to get to this final stage.

The Falcon Tower is currently open to the public and a free entrance to all citizens of Konavle. Others are charged a specific entrance fee.

After at least three hundred and fifty years, the Sokol Kula has regained its features and is guarded by a permanent garrison that watches over it.

The many treasures found were cleaned and set in the skillfully made museum.

I found this history to be fascinating knowing how the old remains of the castle stood there when I had first seen it. The recent changes are to reconstruct the ruins of the same features as centuries ago.

Stone is built around the castle and the view from this castle is one of the best countryside scenery.

Soon there will be a restaurant right on the roof level. The major actions had shown great improvements.

The old building has a unique appearance and I enjoy the view from my home. On my arrival at the old castle twelve years ago, it looked dull and dark grey.

I had captured fairly good photos. Unfortunately, I deleted the photos and now wish I had not done that.

The before and after photos would have been an ideal setting to have a good memory.

Built off a cliff is such a powerful idea.

The feature of the fortress presently tells the story through all the buried treasures which were found at the time of digging around the castle.

There are safety railings along the stairs and is much easier also, it feels safer to climb to the top.

My experiences around the village have been a wonderful challenge. The castle is an addition to the value of our property.

The many advantages of this old fortress have brought light to my life. I am pleased to live that close to a historical site it's enormous.

The mountainous region behind the castle shows the real outlook of the castle, called Sokul Kula (The Falcon Tower).

The surroundings are beautiful with many Cyprus trees, olive trees, laurel trees, Fig plants, and the many wild herbs the wild has to offer are also close to the mysterious castle.

It is indeed a mystery as much more is kept secret about the slaves who were not allowed to leave the fortress centuries ago.

The valuable and most interesting history of the castle fascinates many tourists.

My daily walks have shown me more appreciation of the history this castle has to offer and is such a natural feature. The opening day was extravagant the traditional events were very entertaining.

The men and women were dressed in traditional clothing and performed their acts gracefully. I enjoyed every bit of a new culture and felt part of something different.

A walk to the fortress makes me happy and fun-filled it allows me to be more active when climbing the stairs.

The fortress is next to a cemetery and an Old Catholic church.

I don't like passing through the graveyard it's just not for me, I prefer walking the long path.

I like the appearance of the professionally built stone walls and homes. The homes are built of stone and with red roofs.

The original style of the building, though some people are changing the older style homes to modern styles.

I am not in favour of that idea. It spoils the image. My home is built of stone and I so admire the natural outlook. When the style is changed, it does not suit the traditional buildings.

Stone-built houses and red roofs are the actual way of building in Croatia. The maintenance is simple to keep up with all weather conditions.

The many changes in my life have allowed me to appreciate my new life. The castle has one of my best views and I enjoy the countryside life.