Lodi Castle (Kaštel Lodi)

The ancient town of Kastela (Kaštela), or rather seven small settlements with the same name, lies in the heart of picturesque Croatia, on the shore of the azure Adriatic Sea. In Croatian, "kaštela" means "castle". Seven castles were built on the territory of the modern town in the Middle Ages, hence the names of the ancient settlements. Later, the Kastels began to bear the names of their castles, like Gomilica, Lodi, Pavla Cipika, and merged into one large town of Kastela, stretching for more than 20 kilometers along the marvelous gentle sea. The medieval Kastela castles survive to this day: some are almost destroyed, others have an original appearance. Today, some of them house museums and galleries, while others are still inhabited by people, like many centuries ago.

One of the splendid examples of medieval hostile architecture in Croatia is Lodi (Kaštel Lodi), dating back to 1548. The Lodi Castle, with its massive wooden gate leading to the mainland, is like a sea-stone fortress on a cliff overlooking the sea.

The majestic stone castle was built on a small island by the order of Prince Garzoni of Trogir. The mainland is connected to the castle and the island by a stone bridge, which still allows visitors to enter this majestic building. The massive stone castle has never been completed. The first builders of the citadel, the famous brothers Ivan and Ljudevit Lodi, did not live to see it in all its glory, although they gave it their name.

Just a short drive from the ancient Lodi Castle, there is another outstanding monument of Croatian hostile architecture – the medieval Castle Rotondo (Kaštel Štafilić), built by a rich nobleman of Trogir. The monumental citadel with its slender observation tower and old drawbridge still makes a strong impression on visitors.