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{{Infobox military installation
|name=Stalać Fortress
| native_name = {{lang|sr-Cyrl|Тврђава Сталаћ}}
|location=[[Kruševac]]<br/>{{SRB}}
|coordinates={{coord|43|40|13|N|21|24|16|E|type:landmark_region:RS|display=inline,title}}
|image=Stalać Fortress.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption=Remains of the fortification
|map_type= Serbia
|map_size=
|type=Fortification
|built=1350—75<ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of Glass Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73TrAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Corning Museum of Glass.|page=119|quote=The fragment was discovered in the medieval castle of Stalac, built in the third quarter of the fourteenth century and burned in 1413 on the occasion of a Turkish attack. It was never restored.}}</ref>
|builder=[[Lazar of Serbia]]
|materials=Stone
|height=
|used=
|condition= mostly destroyed
|ownership=
|open_to_public= Yes
}}

'''Stalać Fortress''' is a historic fortress in the town of [[Stalać]] ({{IPA|sh|stǎlaːtɕ|pron}}). It is located {{convert|10|km}} north of present-day [[Kruševac]], on a hill overlooking the confluence of [[West Morava|West]] and [[South Morava]].

Stalać Fortress has a status of a [[Immovable Cultural Heritage of Great Importance (Serbia)|Cultural Monument of Great Importance]] in the Republic of Serbia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Споменици културе у Србији |url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=803 |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs}}</ref>

== History ==

The fort was built at the same time as Kruševac, by prince [[Lazar of Serbia]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tomašević |first1=Nebojša |title=Treasures of Yugoslavia: An Encyclopedic Touring Guide |date=1983 |publisher=Yugoslaviapublic |page=371}}</ref> The town was built on a wide plateau - a strategic place that controlled westward communications. For the first time Stalać is mentioned in 1377 in a charter of prince Lazar, and later in a charter of [[Princess Milica of Serbia|princess Milica]] in 1395. Philosopher [[Constantine of Kostenets]], mentions that in 1413 [[Musa Çelebi]] raided Stalać and razed it.

After these sufferings, Stalać is not mentioned anymore, neither in Turkish nor Hungarian sources on their respective military campaigns. It must be that the fortification was no more in use or worth mentioning. It could be that the level of destruction of the ramparts, towers and the size of the fortification made reconstruction difficult and hard, plus the fact that Stalać lost its strategic importance as it found itself far back in the background of Turkish goal for conquests.

During his voyage in 1433 [[Bertrandon de la Broquière]] mentioned Stalać and its ruins in his notes.<ref name="Jefferson2012">{{cite book|last=Jefferson|first=John|title=The Holy Wars of King Wladislas and Sultan Murad: The Ottoman-Christian Conflict from 1438-1444|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FpvqWWpUYSoC&pg=PA231|date=17 August 2012|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-21904-8|page=231|quote=Brocquière mentions 80–100 barges and galiotes in the area of Stalać in 1433, at the confluence of the two Morava rivers}}</ref> [[Felix Kanitz]] also left a note on Stalać, as he traveled through these regions in the middle of 19th century.

==See also==
*[[Cultural Monuments of Rasina District|Cultural Monuments in Rasina District]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.sekcijatvrdjava.rs/?p=58&lang=en Section Fortress - Stalać]

{{Castles, fortresses and palaces in Serbia|state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia)]]
[[Category:Forts in Serbia]]


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