# Fortress of Komárno

- **Country:** Slovakia
- **Coordinates:** 47.755101, 18.135359
- **Location Text:** Komárno

The Fortress of Komárno is a historic military installation located in the town of Komárno, Slovakia, situated strategically at the confluence of the Danube and Váh rivers. Construction of the original structure, known as the Old Fortress, began in 1546 on the foundations of a medieval castle to defend against Ottoman expansion. Designed by Italian master builder Pietro Ferrabosco and Alsatian engineer Daniel Specklin, the complex represents Renaissance military architecture. It was later expanded between 1673 and 1683 with the addition of the New Fortress under Franz Wymes, creating the largest fortification system within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The site featured five bastions, inner courtyards, casemates, and wide moats, accessible only through heavily guarded entrances like the Ferdinand and Leopold Gates.

Historically, the fortress served as a critical border bastion between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It successfully withstood a massive Ottoman siege in 1594 involving an army of 100,000 men and repelled another attack by Emmerich Thököly in 1683. The western bastion bears the famous inscription NEC ARTE, NEC MARTE, meaning neither by cunning nor by force, reflecting its reputation as an impregnable stronghold that the Ottomans never conquered. Despite surviving military assaults, the complex suffered severe damage from natural disasters, including major floods in 1682 and a devastating earthquake in 1783.

Following the earthquake, military leaders deemed repairs too costly, leading Emperor Joseph II to donate the site to the city in 1784. The buildings were subsequently sold at auction, marking the end of its active military service. Today, the fortress exists as a significant historical landmark within the urban area of Komárno. While much of the original structure was dismantled or altered after being abandoned by the imperial army, the site remains a testament to the region's turbulent past and the sophisticated engineering of Renaissance fortification design.

![Photo of Fortress of Komárno](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Kom%C3%A1rno%2C_pevnost%2C_star%C3%A9_n%C3%A1dvo%C5%99%C3%AD.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Komárno (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)