Fortress of Klis

Klis Fortress Tvrđava Klis
Klis, near Split Croatia
Klis Fortress built into the south face of a rocky mass, barely discernible as a man-made structure, seen from the state route D1.
Klis Fortress Tvrđava Klis
Coordinates	43°33′36″N 16°31′25″E / 43.56°N 16.5235°E / 43.56; 16.5235
Type	Fortification, mixed
Site information
Controlled by	List of rulers 1.) Small stronghold (Gradina) 3rd century BC – 9 AD Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae The Roman province of Dalmatia. 9 AD – 476 Roman Empire 476–493 Odoacer 493–537 Theodoric the Great and Ostrogothic Kingdom 537–614 Byzantine Empire 614–620 Slavs and Avars The Croats' arrival at the Adriatic. 620–640 Croats, a Slavic tribe 640–835 Dukes of Croatia 2.) Royal Castle 835–845 Duke Mislav of Duchy of Croatia 845–864 Duke Trpimir I of Duchy of Croatia and founder of House of Trpimirović 864–925 House of Trpimirović 925 Kingdom of Croatia ruled by King Tomislav 925–1102 Croatian kings from House of Trpimirović 3.) Fortress Croatian Kingdom c. 1097 - 1102, during succession crisis. 1102–1217 Mixed Croatian nobility during personal union between Kingdom of Croatia and Kingdom of Hungary 1217–1221 Pontius de Cruce in charge of Knights Templar appointed by Andrew II 1221–1227 Prince Domald from Split 1227–1242 Croatian nobility 1242 Croatian nobles Brativoj and Butko Julijanov during Mongol siege of the fortress. Béla IV flees from the Mongols. 1242–1273 Croatian nobility 1273–1277 Paul I Šubić of Bribir Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia and Lord of all of Bosnia 1277–1302 George I Šubić 1302–1304 Mladen I Šubić Ban of Bosnia (Dominus) 1304–1322 Mladen II Šubić of Bribir Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia and Lord of all Bosnia 1322–1330 George II Šubić 1330–1348 Mladen III Šubić of Bribir "Shield of the Croats" 1348–1356 Jelena Šubić (Nemanjić) as Mladen III Šubić's widow 1356–1387 Croatian nobility in the name of Louis I the Great Lands ruled by Louis in the 1370s. 1387–1394 Croatian noble John of Palisna (Croatian: Ivan od Paližne) from Vrana, in the name of Bosnian King Tvrtko I 1394–1401 Ban Nikola II Gorjanski in the name of Sigismund 1401–1434 Croatian noble Prince Ivaniš Nelipić 1434–1436 Croatian noble and Ban of Croatia Ivan Frankopan, at that time in war with king Sigismund 1436–1437 Ivan Frankopan's widow peaceful handover the fortress 1437–1458 Croatian noble Matko Talovac and later Petar and Vladislav in the name of Holy Roman Empire 4.) Major strategic value Klis Fortress in the 16th century. 1513–1537 Croatian noble, Prince of Klis Petar Kružić 1537–1596 Ottoman Empire 1596–1596 Uskoks seized the fortress by treachery, but the Turks recovered it fairly quickly, in the same year 1596–1648 Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire after Candian War. 5.) Lost its main strategic weight 1648–1797 Republic of Venice 1797–1805 Austrian Empire as a part of Holy Roman Empire 1805–1813 First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte 1813–1815 Austrian Empire 1815–1867 Kingdom of Dalmatia within Austrian Empire 6.) Abandoned as a permanent military outpost 1867–1918 Kingdom of Dalmatia within Austria-Hungary 1918–1918 State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs 1918–1929 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1929–1939 Littoral Banovina within Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1939–1941 Banovina of Croatia within Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1941–1945 Independent State of Croatia , 1945–1990 SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia 1990–1991 Republic of Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia 1991–present Croatia
Open to the public	Yes June–September: daily 9 am–7 pm October–May: Sat–Sun 9 am–5 pm
Condition	Preserved, slightly renovated
Site history
Built	Unknown, probably in the 3rd century BC
Built by	Small stronghold by Illyrian tribe of Dalmatae, later expanded mostly by: Croatian Mislav Croatian duke Trpimir I Croatian House of Šubić Ottoman Empire Venetians (present day aspect) Austrian Empire
Materials	Limestone