Durdevac Castle

Durdevac Castle - Stari grad Đurđevac, Durdevac, Koprivnica-Križevci County, Republic of Croatia.

Đurđevac Castle was built by the Bishop of Peć, most likely around 1488, on a hill in the middle of a marsh north of Đurđevac, to protect against Turkish attacks and frequent conflicts between nobles.
Đurđevac is a fine example of a lowland fortress, built primarily for military defense. The castle is an irregular octagon with an inner courtyard and a single gate tower approximately 9 meters high. No nobles lived within its walls. The upper floor of the fortress housed soldiers' barracks, officers lived in the tower, and horses and weapons were kept in the courtyard.
A legend about a rooster is associated with this fortress. Similar stories are found elsewhere, but locals insist that it all began here. In the 17th century, after the fall of Virovitica, the outpost in Đurđevac became the closest to Turkish territory. The Turks repeatedly attacked the castle. During these attacks, the townspeople took refuge behind the fortress walls. During the final assault, the Ottoman army, led by Ulam Bey, laid siege to the castle, aiming to starve it out. When the defenders were down to their last rooster, a woman approached the garrison captain with an idea. They captured several crows and used a cannonball to send them loaded with the carcasses and rooster feathers, demonstrating to the attackers that they still had plenty of food. The Turks fell for the ruse and lifted the siege. The city was saved, and the locals subsequently began calling themselves "Pickoki" (roosters).
Every year on the last weekend of June, the Picokijada festival is held here, commemorating the events of that famous victory. During this time, various concerts, sporting events, and art exhibitions are held. On other weekends, medieval reenactments, sword fights, craft training sessions with costumed locals, and entertainment shows for children are also held.
The castle grounds now house a city museum.