The city walls of ancient Narona and the Tower of Ereš
(City gate on the north wall)
The settlement on the site of the present-day settlement of Vid was mentioned as early as the 4th century BC, and reached its peak during the Roman Empire as the important city of Narona , one of the most important administrative and economic centers of the Roman province of Dalmatia. This is evidenced by the very well-preserved remains of the city walls, which descend from the top of the hill towards the valley, enclosing a space in the shape of a fan. They consist of the northern and western city walls, against which square-shaped towers are attached, and the city gate on the northern wall. They were built in several phases, from the Hellenistic period and the 4th or 3rd century BC, during the 2nd century BC to the last phase from the 2nd century and the time of barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire. Thus, in the initial phase, two circular towers were built on the top of the hill, and in later phases they were converted into square towers and walls were built, and renovated as needed. The defensive wall has been preserved in some places to a height of several meters and as such represents the best-preserved city walls from the ancient era in Dalmatia. Next to one of the towers from the Roman era on the western wall, the local parish priest Don Bariša Ereš built a house in the 19th century, popularly known as the Ereš Tower . It is significant as a kind of first open-air museum, i.e. a lapidary of Roman stone monuments from Narona, because numerous stone inscriptions, fragments of stone architecture and sculpture were built into its walls and thus remained preserved and visible. It is interesting that some copies of ancient inscriptions that left Vid were also built into it.
Town Walls of the Ancient Narona and Ereš Tower
(Town Gate on the Northern Wall)
The settlement at today's settlement of Vid is mentioned as early as the 4 th century BC, and it reached its peak at the times of the Roman Empire as the important town of Narona, one of the most significant administrative and economic centers of the Roman province of Dalmatia. This is witnessed by the very well preserved remnants of the town walls which, descending from the top of the hills towards the valley, close the area in the form of a fan. They are comprised of the Northern and Western town walls adjacent to which are the square ground plan towers and the town gate on the Northern wall. They were built in several stages, from the Hellenistic times and the 4th or 3rd century BC, during the 2nd century BC until the last stage from the 2nd century and the times of the barbaric invasions on the territory of the Roman Empire. Thus, in the early stage, at the top of the hill, two towers of a round ground plan were built; in the later stages, they were turned into square towers and walls were built and renovated according to need. The defense wall is preserved in some places up to the height of several meters and as such, represents the most preserved antique town walls in Dalmatia. On the Western wall, beside one of the towers from the Roman period, Fr. Bariša Ereš, a local pastor, in the 19 th century built a house known among the people as the Ereš Tower. It is significant as a kind of a first museum in the open, ie a collection of Roman stone monuments from Narona because numerous stone inscriptions, fragments of stone architecture and sculptures are built into its walls and thus remained preserved and visible. It is interesting that built into it are some transcripts of antique inscriptions that left Vid.