The international FORTIC Summer School was held at the St. John’s Fortress Campus in Šibenik from 5th to 9th May 2026., as part of the FORTIC project – From remains Of the war to the aRchiTecture of peace in cross-border area of Italy-Croatia, co-financed through the Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 programme.
The Summer School was organised and hosted by the Public Cultural Institution Tvrđava kulture Šibenik, which presented the Šibenik model of sustainable fortification heritage management. The programme brought together 20 students and 4 professors from Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, with the aim of encouraging cross-border cooperation, interdisciplinary learning, and joint work on topics related to cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, and the contemporary reuse of fortifications.
During the five-day programme, participants explored the Šibenik fortresses as examples of restoration, valorisation, and contemporary use of fortified heritage through lectures, study visits, fieldwork, and group work. The programme included visits to St. John’s Fortress, Barone Fortress, St. Michael’s Fortress, and St. Nicholas’ Fortress, as well as a guided tour of Šibenik’s historic city centre.
The professional part of the programme focused on sustainable management of cultural heritage, the development of cultural content in restored fortification sites, sustainability, and inclusivity. Through lectures and collaborative work, students had the opportunity to learn about examples of good practice and reflect on the role of fortifications in the development of sustainable tourism, cultural programmes, and local communities.
Special emphasis was placed on student group work focused on comparing the Šibenik fortresses with fortifications in Istria and Italy. Students analysed different models of management, interpretation, and adaptive reuse of fortified heritage and developed proposals for its sustainable use in a contemporary social and tourism context.
The results of the group work were publicly presented on 8 May at Barone Fortress as part of the Night of Fortresses Goes Green programme. In this way, participants presented their conclusions, ideas, and proposals within a living heritage space, in front of an audience and as part of an event that connects fortification sites, sustainable tourism, education, and local communities.
The Summer School concluded with an excursion to Zlarin and a guided visit to the Croatian Coral Centre Zlarin, allowing participants to further explore the natural and cultural heritage of the Šibenik area.
The Summer School was an important opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experience among students and professors from Croatia and Italy, while also raising awareness about the importance of interdisciplinary and participatory approaches in the preservation and contemporary use of cultural heritage. The programme further confirmed the value of field learning, international cooperation, and joint reflection on the future of fortified heritage sites.
The FORTIC project promotes the valorisation of fortifications as spaces of peace and cooperation while encouraging cross-border exchange and sustainable development of cultural heritage. The project is co-financed through the Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 programme. The project consortium includes City of Pula as lead partner, together with Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Tvrđava kulture Šibenik, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Municipality of Cervia, Municipality of Vieste, and City of Korčula.
More info: https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/fortic
