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TODAY |
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Serbia |
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Copyright © 2010 SERBIA TODAY |
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SERBIA FACT SHEET: |
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Old Serbia's Heart - Smederevo Castle Smederevo, Dec.4, 2009 (Serbia Today) - The city of Smederevo has existed since Europe’s medieval ages and has seen many an invasion at the hands of peoples such as the Ottomans, the Austro-Hungarians, the Germans, and the Russians. Smederevo’s neighbours include cites like Pozarevac, Kovin, and Beograd. Smederevo fortress is on the Danube, downstream from Belgrade, was built between 1428 and 1430 during the reign of Despot Djuradj Brankovic, the last of medieval Serbia's rulers. The fortress, encircled by crenellated walls and towers, was for a long time the last bastion against the Turkish assault. The main tower is well preserved and an inscription on it mentions Despot Djuradj and the date of its construction. Smederevo fortress suffered severe damage to its towers and walls during World War II, when a big ammunition depot exploded within its walls in 1941, and from bombing in 1944. With a population of about 63,000, Smederevo is the administrative center of an area called Podunavlje District, which encompasses most of Central Serbia and includes places like Smederevska Palanka and Velika Plana. Smederevo is historically important because it was the capital of the Serb State in the fourteenth century, and was therefore the city where the royal palace was located (known today as Smederevo fortress). Today Smederevo is one of the leading cities in Serbia, and it is growing rapidly. Areas of industrial interest include developing the technology of passenger, transport and special railroad cars.
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Medieval Monasteries, Fortresses, and Castles |
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Serbia has a very rich historical heritage that can be seen in fortresses, castles and monasteries from different historical periods.
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