Stone towns of Vis (2): Perasti Tower is a mysterious private fortress of Vicko from Montenegro

Arriving on the island of Vis, the “Stone Towns” series began with a visit to the fortress of the British Royal Navy, Fort George, located at the very entrance to the port of Vis. In this continuation, we travel down the hill and reach the center of the town of Vis and its port, where life has been going on every day for centuries and which welcomes more and more tourists every year.

Near the first and one of the most famous cafes in the bay, there is a mysterious fortress known only to local residents and lovers of Vis. Often overshadowed by the largest yachts that dock in the harbor, the Perasti Tower has merged with its rocky surroundings, patiently waiting for centuries for pirate attacks or the moment when its purpose will finally be fulfilled.

Vis, Photo: Adria.fun

It can only be reached on foot, so I parked my car in one of the city’s parking lots and walked along the entire waterfront for the hundredth and first time, admiring it as if I was here for the first time.

I passed by it as many times and every time I asked myself, what I was actually looking at and what was its purpose. It’s not hard to notice if you look closely. It stands out like Fort Kastel Komuna, and there is a cannon in front of it.

As soon as you see it, your thoughts will take you to another time, and its mysterious and equally interesting shape will raise the question, who built it and why?

Perasti Tower, Vis, Photo: Adria.fun

While reading scientific papers and cultural-tourist guides, for the first time I heard about Vicko (Vinko) Diula aka Perasti. They say that he arrived on the island of Vis from Boka Kotor Bay more precisely from Perast, as early as 1600. He carved that information into the stone of his palace. In addition to the palace, he also built a house right next to the tower in the settlement of Luka, today’s Vis.

The tower was built a little later, in 1617 to be exact, after Vicko sent a request for construction to the Prince of Hvar with the explanation that the tower was necessary for defense against Turks and pirates, both for his family and the islanders. Approval arrived in 1616 from the general administrator of Dalmatia and construction could begin.

Perasti Tower, Vis, Photo: Adria.fun

Over the years, they tried to demolish the tower on several occasions, but the only wish Vicko had on his deathbed, written in his will, was that his sons should never, at any cost, sell or divide the tower. They understood this desire as a law and defended it with all their might.

Thanks to the care they took of the fortress until the 18th century, they won the recognition of the Hungarian nobility, which was awarded to them by Emperor Maximilian II.

While I was standing in front of the tower and trying to calmly capture all its corners and record them with a photo, I noticed that the tower did not have a typical entrance, at least not the kind expected of a fortress. I learned from various sources that the tower had as many as five floors, with several windows for cannons, two loopholes, a cistern on the ground floor, and floors for hiding. In the second phase of construction, it received a final terrace.

The entrance was on her right, facing the house, which was connected to it by a bridge on the second floor. Later, during the extension at the end of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century, the entrance was raised one floor higher.

In the construction method, I also saw interesting characteristics that Vicko obviously brought from his native Perast, so it seems to resemble the construction method that was present in Boka at that time, and which distinguishes it from the remains of stone towns on the island of Vis that I have yet to tell you the stories about.

Perasti Tower, Vis, Photo: Adria.fun

Today, in front of the tower, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, there is a cannon, next to which, I must admit, there is also a trash can. I have to remark that that trash can does not fit at all in the area of ​​cultural and historical heritage that we should be proud of, and on behalf of the whole team, I would ask those in charge of it to move it at least somewhere to the side.

You cannot enter the tower, so the only way to see it is to go around it from all sides. Right behind it, in the alley, there is a cafe/restaurant, which made it difficult to take a nice photo of the tower from the back. But at least that leaves you with a reason to explore it yourself, until the next article of the series.

This publication was co-financed by the Fund for the Promotion of Pluralism and Diversity of Electronic Media.