The name of the Kvartiri (Fr. quartier – lodging, military camp) is indicative of the fort’s original purpose, that is, the barracks for the Croatian cavalry (Cavalleria croata, Croati a cavallo). It was built in 1760 as a square fort with a two-building complex. Each complex includes two square towers and two inner courtyards separated by the stables. A complex could house four companies of horsemen, together with their horses. Throughout history, the fort was used by all the armies present in Sinj, particularly by the French Army in the early 19th century, and the Austrian Army. It was the time when the Home Guard three-storey barracks were added to the fort.
Before the Alka Knights Court was built, compulsory protective archaeological research had been carried out in order to get a complete insight into the construction and reconstruction of the fort in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The architectural foundations of the south tower were found, including the water reservoir, the rainfall drainage system, and remnants of the paving, the flooring and cobble pavements. Fragments of polished and industrial kitchen potteries, glass fragments, numerous ceramic pipes, Venetian coins and objects of metal date from the Late Middle Ages and the Modern Age. The Alka Knights Court (Kvartiri) is cultural property under the protection of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.
Source: TZ Sinj
