Uzice’s Old Town is located on a protruding and rocky ridge, which was surrounded on three sides by the Djetinja river. It is not known when the fortification was built in the changing weather, and its past is little known. It is certain, however, that the city grew out of the depths of the Middle Ages, as a place of “vigil and guard”. In constant and dramatic changes, wars, and raids of conquerors, the citadel endured and dealt blows, the city walls and towers resisted all kinds of temptations and defied time and people. The fortress remained in ruins and lasted, as a sign of the times, and in the suburbs, as an embryo, among the hills, a town developed.
The origin and development of Uzice’s Old Town are connected to the caravan road that connected the Moravian Valley with Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the Adriatic coast, primarily the Republic of Dubrovnik in the period of Nemanjic’s Serbia, through the Djetinja valley. The road was cobbled, 1.7 to 2.2 meters wide, and was used for passenger and caravan traffic, and transport of people and goods.
The first reliable historical data on the Uzice fortress comes from the middle of the 14th century when it was owned by the noble family Vojinovic, and from 1366 to 1373 it belonged to Nikola Altomanovic. In November 1373, the combined forces of Prince Lazar and Ban Tvrtko, with the help of King Lajos I of Hungary, and under the command of the Macvan Ban Nikola Gorjanski, besieged the Uzice Fortress. The goal of these military actions was to overthrow Nikola Altomanovic Vojinovic, the ruler with the largest territory under power after the collapse of Dusan’s empire, whose capital was Uzice. According to historical data during the siege, cannons were used for the first time on the territory of Serbia. After the defeat, the land of Nikola Altomanović was divided among the victors, while he was blinded by the order of Prince Lazar.
At the end of the fortifications, a town developed for centuries, the development and survival of which depended on the importance and strength of the city walls. The fortress was demolished several times and rebuilt. Significant additions and fortifications were made in 1478, then during the Austro-Turkish wars in 1688 and the period from 1737 to 1839, and finally during the First and shortly after the Second Serbian Uprising, 1813-1819. years. As a military facility, it was disabled and demolished in January 1863, at the time of the expulsion of the Turks from the city. The spatial whole of the fortress consists of three parts: the citadel at the top with the main tower, the middle city, and the lower city with the water tower.
After more than a century, the ruins of the town of Uzice have been recognized as a significant part of the monumental heritage. In the period from 1976 to 1980, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from Kraljevo carried out extensive systematic archaeological and architectural research, after which almost all parts of the fortification were explored and preserved. The Old Town was entered into the Central Register of Immovable Cultural Property as a cultural asset of great importance on March 7, 1983.
Realizing the cultural significance and tourist potential of this unique building, the City of Uzice decided to rebuild the fortress and protect it from decay. To further plan the development, a plan for detailed regulation of the Stari grad area was made, which laid the foundations for the future development, protection, and promotion of this cultural heritage. Conservation and restoration of three fortifications were carried out, while the Upper Town with the tower, ramparts, casemates, and entrance gate was reconstructed. In addition to the attractive tourist space with a lookout, a gallery-museum space with educational content is also provided. The plan is to improve the accessibility of the Old Town, connecting with important localities in the area.