Minceta tower

The Minceta Tower in Dubrovnik is the highest point of the Old Town walls and one of the city’s most prominent defensive structures. Built in 1463, at the height of the Turkish threat, this tower has been a symbol and witness to Dubrovnik’s fortifications throughout the ages.

The Minceta Tower was built by the local builder Nicifor Ranjina and Italian engineers sent by Pope Pius II. The name of the tower comes from the Menčetić family, who owned the land on which the tower was built. It was originally a strong quadrangular fortress built in 1463, but rebuilt in the mid-15th century by Michelozzo, who used new military techniques. He rebuilt the earlier square fortress, adding a new round tower and a low rock wall system.

The tower dominates the elevated northwestern part of the city with its height and impressive volume. The six-meter-thick walls of the new tower were equipped with several protected artillery pieces, making it an invincible defensive structure. Zadar architect and sculptor Giorgio da Sebenico continued work on the Minceta Tower, designing and building a tall, narrow round tower with later parapets added.

The tower was completed in 1464 and became a symbol of the invincible city of Dubrovnik. After long excavations, the 16th-century cannon tower Gornji Ugao (Upper Tower) was discovered under the Minceta tower, which is now a museum. The tower offers visitors magnificent views of the old town and the Adriatic Sea, making it a popular attraction for history buffs and tourists alike.

The Minceta Tower is one of the most significant and historical landmarks in the Old Town of Dubrovnik, towering over the city as a powerful symbol of the city’s defense and architectural heritage.

The area around the tower was used for scenes in the Game of Thrones House of the Undying city of Qarth. This was where Daenerys searched for her stolen dragons.