The central building of the site is the tower Marinska Kula, built on the cliffs in the sea itself, which was once accessed by a drawbridge. In the 15th century, the area of Marina was coming under ever greater threat by the Ottoman invasion, so a castle was built to defend its residents. In 1495, the Venetian government gave its consent to the then Bishop of Trogir, Frano Marcello (Francesco Marcello), to build a fortress in the bay of Bosiljine (Saldun), near the church of St Marina (Sv. Marina). Marcello's efforts to build a combination of a settlement, fortress and summer house are the result not only of war events, but also of the long-lasting struggles of the Trogir church for full and autonomous rule in Bosiljina. The construction lasted for about ten years because, already in 1502, while work was in progress, the villagers successfully, on multiple occasions, defended themselves from Turkish attacks. After all those events, the Venetian government finished the construction on the site and set a watch. The tower preserved until today is the basic architectural element from the very beginning of construction, and, on the east façade, the stone relief of the Venetian lion and the coat of arms of bishop Marcello are still visible today. Direct access to the sea was possible through a portal on the north side. In time of the Cretan War in 1657, the tower was severely damaged, and after the Turkish threat ended at the beginning of the 18th century, it was partially restored. At the beginning of the 20th century, a sea channel between the tower and the citadel was made, but it was severely damaged during the Second World War, and in the seventies, it was reconstructed and adapted into a catering and tourist facility. The tower Marinska Kula is still the biggest symbol of this area.
The Coat of Arms of Frano Marcello (Grb Frane Marcella), 15th c
The coat of arms of the builder of Marina is located on the door of the Citadel, that of the the Bishop of Trogir, Frano Marcello, (Francesco Marcello, 1446-1524), a descendant of one of the most famous noble families of Venice, which gave us many dignitaries throughout history. Marcello served as a bishop in Trogir for 36 years, and, in addition to actively advocating the fight against the Ottomans, he was remembered in Croatian history as a leader in writing anti-Turkish speeches. To save the surrounding population of Marina and his episcopal estate from Ottoman incursions, he built, mostly with his own money, a bishop's fortress in the village of Marina at the end of the 15th century. Among other things, it is recorded in history that his initiative saved the painting of the Mother of God from Drid and transferred it to the Franciscan monastery on the island of Čiovo, which, since then, thanks to that painting, has also been called Drid.
The coat of arms of the bishop Frane Marcello, in addition to the gate of the citadel, s was also embedded on the Marina tower and on the crown of the well next to the parish court in Marina. The coat of arms of the Marcello family is associated with their maritime and trade tradition expressed via a golden wave over the sea (Coat of arms: the plain of the shield is divided by a right slanted wavy beam, and the episcopal miter is above the shield), with the initials FM.
