Five Wells Square (Trg Pet Bunara)

Five Wells Square, Trg Pet Bunara in Croatian, is an open square in the Old Town of Zadar, on the peninsula in northern Dalmatia, close to the land gate and the harbour. It takes its name from five stone wells set in a row, which are the most visible remains of a Venetian-designed water system of the sixteenth century. The square is a calm, pleasant space that tells a good deal about how Zadar’s people survived long periods under threat.

Zadar was Venetian for centuries, and in the sixteenth century it stood on the front line against the Ottomans, the Turkish power of the time, whose armies controlled much of the hinterland and several times laid siege to the city or raided its fields. A walled city on a narrow peninsula had one great weakness, which was water, because if the people could not get fresh water during a siege, they could not hold out. To solve the problem the Venetians built a large underground cistern in the 1570s, fed by rainwater, with five wells opening onto a square above it. Citizens could draw water from the wells in times of crisis, and the system helped the city withstand the pressure of war. The wells are decorated with carved details and make a pleasing row, and they have been a landmark of Zadar ever since.

The square lies between the old city walls and the Grimani Bastion, a Renaissance defensive structure built to strengthen the land side of the fortifications, and the layers of fortification are visible all around. Beside it stands the Captain’s Tower, the last of the ten towers that once defended the city, which now hosts cultural exhibitions and offers wide views over the old town from its upper level. Together with the wells, they make a compact lesson in military and civil engineering of the sixteenth century.

Set beside the square is Queen Jelena Madije’s Park, said to be the oldest public park in Croatia, one of Croatia’s historic green spaces, laid out in 1829 on the line of the former defences. It is shaded by tall trees and has benches and paths, making it a restful place to sit after a walk through the old town. Cafés and restaurants around the square offer terraces, and in the evening the area is lit and quiet.

The square is free and open at all hours, and can be reached on foot from anywhere in the old town. It is close to People’s Square, St. Chrysogonus Church, the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun, and a visit takes about an hour with the park and the tower. It suits anyone interested in history, military architecture and quiet corners, and early morning and sunset are the best times.