(2014 - 2021)

Mamula fortress on Lastavica island in the Municipality of Herceg Novi represents one of the oldest Austro-Hungarian fortifications in the Bay of Kotor and is a listed cultural property. The edifice was constructed between 1850 and 1854 as one of three fortresses at the very entrance to the bay. Mamula is part of an intricate fortification complex known as Tvrđava Boka (Fortress of the Bay of Kotor), with the construction works managed by the general Lazar Mamula, after whom the fortress was named in 1865.

The fortress represents a complex architectural ensemble consisting of a double-storey circular tower, elevated central plateau, tall outer rampart surrounded by a moat, as well as a Mörser battery of a later construction, including watchtowers.

Following the development of artillery techniques and the invention of long-range cannons of Mörser type in the second half of the 19th century, a single significant upgrade of the fortress took place.

PROJEKTOR has been part of the project since 2014, when the technical survey, analysis of historical documentation and the execution of a conservation project for reconstruction were carried out. During archival research on the records of the Austrian War Archives, significant material in the form of technical plans of the fortress were found.

On the basis of survey outputs and site visits, it has been identified that the fortress underwent the most significant deterioration as the result of decades-long neglect. The conservation project has envisaged the protection and presentation of all building phases of the fortress, preservation of its authenticity and integrity including the unique architecture, position and alignment with the insular morphology, but also the memorial values associated with the building’s function as a prison during the First and Second World Wars.