Perasti Tower Vis – a defensive tower from 1617

Perasti Tower is one of the most recognisable historical defensive structures in the town of Vis. It is located in the historic part of Luka, just a few steps from the sea, nestled among later-built houses and town streets.

Today, its position in the middle of the town may seem somewhat unusual, but when it was constructed in the early 17th century, the circumstances were quite different.

At that time, Vis was not a walled town, and the residents near the Vis harbour were exposed to potential attacks from the sea. This prompted Vicko from Perast in Boka Kotorska to commission the construction of a strong stone tower on his own land in 1617, intended to protect himself, his family, and, if necessary, other residents of Vis.

More than four centuries later, the tower still stands almost in the town centre and is one of the best remnants of a time when defence against sea attacks was part of daily life on the island.

Vicko from Perast and the construction of the tower

The builder of the tower was Vicko from Perast, an immigrant from Boka Kotorska who settled in Vis at the end of the 16th century.

He was wealthy enough to build his own house and other structures in Luka, but at the beginning of the 17th century, property alone did not guarantee safety.

The Adriatic was frequented by pirates and warships, and the Dalmatian islands were occasionally subjected to attacks by the Ottomans, Uskoks, and North African pirates.

Consequently, Vicko sought permission to build a defensive tower.

He received the approval of the general provost on 16 December 1616, and the tower was constructed during 1617.

This was not merely a house with a few gun ports, but a genuine small private fortress.

A private tower intended to protect other residents of Vis

This is one of the most interesting aspects of Perasti Tower.

It was built on private land and with private funds, yet its role was not entirely private.

In the event of an attack, it was meant to serve as a safe place for other residents of the surrounding area of Vis.

This was particularly important as the harbour at that time did not have city walls behind which the population could take refuge.

Thus, the tower represents a blend of family fortification and a communal defensive shelter.

This character distinguishes it from later large military fortifications like Fort George or Batarija, which were constructed by foreign state authorities and their armies.

The massive stone walls were not for decoration

When approached closely, it becomes evident how seriously Perasti Tower was built.

The walls are made of large hewn stone blocks, and the lower part of the tower is slightly sloped.

Gun ports and cannon openings can still be identified on the facades, through which fire could be directed at attackers.

Horizontal stone cornices divide the tall facade into several levels, further emphasising the almost military appearance of the structure.

Unlike many old houses in Vis that feature a few defensive details, the entire architecture of Perasti Tower is primarily dedicated to defence.

The ground floor housed a cistern

Sieges or attacks could last for extended periods, so the tower could not rely on external sources for daily water supply.

Therefore, a water cistern was located on the ground floor.

Above it were floors where people could take shelter and store necessary equipment.

The tower was originally lower than it is today. It had a ground floor with a cistern and two main floors, and was later raised further.

In the late 17th or early 18th century, two more levels were added, giving it much of its current appearance.

The entrance was not on the ground floor

One of the most interesting defensive features of Perasti Tower is that it originally did not have ordinary doors on the ground floor.

Access to the tower was via a higher floor.

The entrance was connected to Vicko's house by a wooden bridge, allowing for easier defence or removal of access in case of danger.

Everything that needed to be brought into the tower – weapons, food, and other supplies – was transported the same way.

After the later extension of the tower, the entrance was moved up another level and reconnected to the house.

Today, these former passages are bricked up, but their traces can still be recognised on the facade.

The watchtowers at the corners are the most recognisable detail

At the top of Perasti Tower are characteristic quadrangular corner watchtowers supported by stone corbels.

These give the tower its distinctive silhouette.

This type of watchtower is not particularly common in central Dalmatia but is much closer to the defensive architecture of southern Dalmatia and Boka Kotorska.

This is likely not a coincidence.

Vicko came from Perast, a place with a long maritime and fortification tradition, so some architectural elements from his homeland can be recognised in the tower he built in Vis.

This is a fine example of how architectural connections between different Adriatic regions can be traced.

The tower had its own cannons

Perasti Tower was not merely a passive hiding place for residents.

It was armed with smaller bronze cannons, which are mentioned in documents from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Cannon openings are still visible on the walls today.

The importance of having an unobstructed field of fire is underscored by the fact that uncontrolled construction around the tower was prohibited.

Houses, walls, and other structures were not allowed to obstruct the lines of fire from the tower in case of an attack.

The current situation is entirely different.

The town has expanded around the tower over the centuries, so it is now surrounded by houses and streets. This makes it difficult to imagine how open the space around it looked at the beginning of the 17th century.

Vis without city walls

Understanding the tower is easiest when imagining Vis four centuries ago.

The present town emerged from the merging of Luka and Kut, but for a long time, it did not have classic city walls like those of Dubrovnik, Korčula, or some other Adriatic towns.

Wealthy families had to take care of their own security to some extent.

A series of tower houses, fortified summer residences, and agricultural complexes emerged throughout Vis and its interior.

However, Perasti Tower stands out among them as it resembles a true fortification much more than a residential house with defensive elements.

This is one of the reasons it is particularly valuable today.

Vicko Perasti died in 1622

Vicko did not enjoy his new fortress for long.

He died in 1622, just a few years after its construction.

He left the tower to his heirs, but with a very interesting condition: they were not allowed to divide it.

The idea was evidently to preserve its defensive capability as a unique structure.

Later, Vicko's descendants continued to maintain the tower, and it remained an important landmark in Luka long after military conditions in the Adriatic changed.

The tower was later raised

The present-day Perasti Tower is not entirely the same structure that Vicko saw in 1617.

The original tower was lower.

In the late 17th or early 18th century, it was raised by two levels.

At that time, the organisation of the upper part was also changed, and the entrance was raised to a higher level.

At the top, a flat terrace was formed with corner watchtowers that now attract the most attention.

Careful observation of the walls still reveals traces of various construction phases.

A protected cultural asset

Perasti Tower is now a protected cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia.

It is valuable not only for its age but also for its remarkably well-preserved defensive architecture as a private tower from the early 17th century.

Particularly noteworthy are its square floor plan, sloped lower walls, cornices, gun ports, cannon openings, traces of former high entrances, and corner watchtowers.

All together, they provide a fairly good picture of what the defence of a wealthier house in a settlement without city walls looked like.

Can you enter Perasti Tower?

The tower should primarily be viewed as a historical building to be observed from the outside.

It is not arranged like a classic museum with regular opening hours and daily guided tours of the interior.

Therefore, one should not expect to freely enter the tower during a casual stroll around Vis.

However, an external visit is quite straightforward.

It can be approached from several sides, allowing for close inspection of the gun ports, cannon openings, stone cornices, and watchtowers.

To understand the building better, it is particularly worthwhile to look for traces of former bricked-up entrances on the higher floors.

Where is it located?

The tower is now practically in the centre of the town of Vis, in the Luka area, not far from the waterfront.

It can be reached from the ferry port in just a few minutes on foot.

Using a car solely for visiting the tower does not make sense.

If you are already in the town centre, it is best to visit it while walking through Luka and then continue to other attractions.

In the immediate vicinity, there are also old Vis palaces, the Church of St. Spirit, and numerous other traces of the town's development from the Renaissance and Baroque periods onwards.

It is best to include the tower in a walk around the town

A special trip of several hours is not necessary just for Perasti Tower.

An external visit takes about ten to twenty minutes, depending on how thoroughly one observes the architecture.

It makes the most sense to combine it with other attractions in Luka.

You could start from the ferry port, pass through the old part of the town to Perasti Tower, continue to the palaces, Gospa od Spilica, and Batarija, and then further towards Prirovo or Kut.

This way, it is much easier to understand how modern Vis developed over several different historical periods.

Perasti Tower and later Vis fortifications

When visiting Fort George and Batarija, it is easy to forget that Vis had defensive structures long before the British and Austrian armies.

Perasti Tower is nearly two hundred years older than them.

Its story is also entirely different.

Fort George was built by the British army as part of an international conflict during the Napoleonic Wars.

Batarija was constructed by Austria as the main fortress for the defence of the harbour.

Perasti Tower was built by a resident of Vis on his own land, at a time when the population needed a place to take refuge from pirates and other attackers.

This is why all three structures together illustrate how the defence of Vis changed over the centuries.

A small fortress that explains a large part of Vis's history

Perasti Tower is not the largest fortification on the island nor a landmark that requires half a day to explore.

However, it is one of the more interesting buildings in the town due to its story.

It was built by an immigrant from Boka Kotorska, was privately owned, had its own cannons, a cistern, and an entrance via a bridge, while also providing shelter for other residents of Vis.

Today, the town has completely surrounded the former defensive tower, but its tall stone walls and watchtowers still stand out clearly among the houses of Luka.

For a visitor wanting to explore Vis beyond the waterfront, restaurants, and beaches, Perasti Tower is one of the best brief historical stops during a walk around the town.