Frankopan Novigrad na Dobri Castle

Frankopan Novigrad na Dobri Castle - Frankopanski grad Novigrad na Dobri, Novigrad na Dobri, Karlovac County, Republic of Croatia.

Historical sources mention a settlement on the riverbank in this area from the 13th century. The first documented mention of Novigrad Castle dates back to 1558 and refers to the property assessment of Stjepan Frankopan of Ožalj, who was to be executed and his property confiscated by court order. This suggests that the castle was most likely built in the first half of the 16th century by Duke Bernardin Frankopan (1452-1529).
Novigrad rises above the right bank of the Dobra River and was built as a fortress guarding the road and crossing on an important route from central Croatia to the Adriatic coast. A well-preserved stone bridge is located in close proximity to the castle and connects it with the village of Novigrad na Dobri. The Frankopan family owned the castle until 1671, when, following the collapse of the Zranski-Frankopan conspiracy, all their holdings ceded to the crown. The castle was plundered and subsequently changed hands several times, including to the Order of Malta. The next owner, in 1746, converted the Renaissance castle into a Baroque palace. In 1939, the next owner donated the castle to the state. In 1944, it was burned by partisans, and in 1953, it was declared a cultural monument. It was only in 1994 that restoration and renovation began under the direction of the Department of Conservation of the Ministry of Culture in Karlovac.