One of the most scenic and memorable symbols of Sinj, located in the very town centre opposite the Church of the Miraculous Madonna of Sinj is Kamičak. Kamičak is a star-shaped fort, built in 1712 on the hill of the same name. The home master builders Ignacije Macanović and Jakov Cincidela participated in its building. In the south-west, it is joined to kvartir (the cavalry barracks), and today’s Alka Knights Court (Alkarski dvori). Kamičak’s present-day layout dates back to 1890 when the walls were built and the pine trees planted.
A tower that used to serve as an observatory is built in the fort. On the tower there is a clock ringing three minutes before the hour, and ticking on the hour. At the top of the tower there is a bronze bell cast in the foundry of the famous Italian family Colbachini. The foundry was established in 1745 and in 1898 it was granted the right by the Pope Leo XIII to use the papal arms in their production. To this day, the Colbachini foundry has been the only foundry in the world with this exceptional honour. On the bell, richly floral-ornamented, four reliefs in circles stand out – The Madonna of Carmel Embracing the Child, St Cristofor, The Crucifix and St George Slaying the Dragon. The year MDCCCXXVIII (1828) is inscribed on the bell, as well as the author Opera di Giovanni Colbachini Trieste.
At the top of the bell there is an inscription reading ‘A fulgore et tempestate libera nos Domine’ (From the thunder and evil times, deliver us, Lord). It probably has the origin in folklore, saying that the ringing of bells or mortar fire chases away the clouds and hail. The Kamičak Fort is cultural property under the protection of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.
Source: TZ Sinj
