Borač Castle: A Medieval Bosnian Noble Court and Fortress
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page4 sections
History
Foundation and Role
Borač Castle was a medieval noble court and fortified town between Mesići and Brčigovo near Rogatica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fortress is dated to around 1244, although its builder is unknown. It served as the seat and residence of the Radinović-Pavlović family and was regarded as one of the largest and most important fortified towns in medieval Bosnia. It was the first of two fortresses the family used as a base.
Later Medieval Control and Demolition
Pavle Radenović controlled Borač from 1381 until his death in 1415. From 1415, Radislav Pavlović and Petar Pavlović-Radinović were also associated with control of the fortress. During Radislav Pavlović’s leadership, the family established a second base at Pavlovac, also called New Borač or New Town, in the late fourteenth century, probably around 1392. Borač’s political affiliations included the Banate of Bosnia, a medieval polity ruled by a ban that preceded the Kingdom of Bosnia, the kingdom itself, and the Ottoman Empire, which expanded into southeastern Europe. The fortress remained in use until its demolition in 1485. It is protected as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Remains
The ruined fortress was built of limestone and occupied rugged slopes high above the Prača River canyon. A separate, older fortress identified as the original Borač stood near the present-day village of Borač, a few kilometres downstream from Pavlovac.
