Large Governor’s Tower (Veliki Revelin Tower)

The Large Governor's Tower, known in Croatian as Veliki Revelin, is the stout round tower beside the main land entrance of Korčula's old town, and it is usually the first piece of the fortifications that visitors see on arrival. Korčula Town occupies a small peninsula on the eastern end of the island of Korčula, and the old town is surrounded by walls and towers that once protected it from raiders and rival powers. The Revelin stands guard at the gate on the landward side, where the stairs rise from the open square outside the walls to the entrance of the town.

The tower dates from the late fifteenth century, built in the 1480s, a time when the threat of Ottoman expansion and pirate raids pushed Adriatic towns to strengthen their defences with artillery towers. Korčula was then under Venetian rule, and the tower was designed to cover the main gate and the approach by land, with thick walls able to withstand cannon fire. It is built of large, roughly cut blocks of local limestone, and its sloping, heavy base and curved shape deflect shot, which is why the tower looks so massive and sturdy. Together with the smaller tower nearby, it protected the Governor's Palace and the entrance to the harbour.

Like many defensive structures, it outlived its military use. In later centuries the tower served other purposes, among them as a water store in the early twentieth century, and plaques on and near it record events of the Second World War and the liberation of the town. These details show how the building has been reused and remembered across several centuries. Access to the interior is limited, and it is often closed outside the main season, so most visitors admire it from outside.

The staircase leading up from the square to the gate is part of the experience. Climb it slowly, since from the steps you can see how the tower and the walls line up to funnel anyone entering the town. At the top, the narrow gateway opens onto the old town's main street. Around the tower and in the square below, cafes and bars offer a place to sit, and in the evening the stone glows warmly under floodlights.

The nearby sights, including the Land Gate, the Kanavelić Tower, the Zakerjan Tower, the West Gate and Marco Polo House, are covered separately and form a natural walking circuit on the old town's perimeter. Allow fifteen to thirty minutes for the tower and the stairs. The site suits history enthusiasts, photographers and anyone who wants to understand the logic of a Venetian-era fortified town.