JXQF+28 Grabovac, Serbia
The Grabovac Fortress, or Erin's Town, is located on a hill above the left bank of the Western Morava River in the area of the village of the same name, 3.5 kilometers northwest of Trstenik. It is believed to have originated during the early Byzantine period, specifically during the reign of Justinian, and was also used in the Middle Ages. Grabovac is one of the largest fortresses in Western Pomoravlje, its role being to establish control over the road leading through the river valley to the area near Kruševac. Its significance for the Serbian people was likely greatest immediately after the Battle of Kosovo, when the army defending the nearby Ljubostinja Monastery was stationed here, from where Princess Milica ruled the state.
As with most old fortresses and towns in Serbia, it is unknown who and when built the town of Erin in the village of Grabovac. Although archaeological finds in this area date back to prehistoric times, it is certain that most of the preserved walls belong to the medieval period. However, even these show layers indicating that this is a very ancient settlement. Travel writers such as Felix Kanitz and architect Vladislav Titelbah associate the town with the Roman period. However, today the prevailing scientific opinion is that the oldest fortress on this site was built only in the 6th century, during the time of Emperor Justinian, to protect the so-called Morava line from Slavic invasions. Later, it was restored and expanded by Serbian medieval rulers, but the exact period during which the fortification was active cannot be determined. Nevertheless, based on archaeological findings, it can be confidently said that the town existed and reached its peak during the Morava Serbia period under Prince Lazar.
The Grabovac Fortress stretches over a steep, forested ridge about 300 meters high and covers an area of one hectare. Today, the remains of two towers can be seen here, which were connected by a long wall to a tower overlooking the Morava River itself. Access to the town was only possible from the southwest side, along which the long wall extended. The total length of the preserved ramparts is about 350 meters, the largest of which are two meters wide and eight meters high. However, it is known that the fortress was once much larger. In the oldest preserved plan of Grabovac, found in the works of geographer Jovan Cvijić’s “Settlements of Serbian Lands,” the length of the walls is mentioned as up to one kilometer.
The fortification can be divided into three parts: the Upper and Lower Towns, which are connected by a long rampart. The Upper Town is located on a kind of plateau at the top of the hill and has the shape of an irregular triangle, or a ship. It is 120 meters long and about 40 meters wide. Within the Upper Town, remains of several buildings were found, among which a round structure with a diameter of 25 meters stands out. This part of the fortification shows traces of three annexes. The Lower Town is built as a trapezoidal annex to the Upper Town, and in its vicinity, remains of a defensive trench are visible. A long wall descending to the river itself protected the approach to the place still called Brod, where there was a crossroads and a river crossing. This wall is preserved today with a length of up to 200 meters.
Historical records mention some other parts of the town, such as a dry moat, stairs, and a cellar. During recent archaeological excavations, valuable items of weaponry, horseshoes, silver coins from the time of Vuk Branković, and ceramic objects were found. The site can be reached by a 500-meter pedestrian trail along the Grabovac–Lozna road. This place was declared a cultural heritage site in the 1970s.
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