THE OLD TOWN OF ĐURĐEVAC
The old town of Đurđevac, i.e. the fortress, was built just near the centre of the town.
It was built by a hungarian bishop Sigismund Ernušt around 1488.
The main reason for the construction was permanent Turkish danger and constant conflicts among the nobility.
The legend about the “picoki” is connected with the fortress. In 1552, the Turkish army, under the leadership of Ulam-beg, smote the fortress waiting for food to be gone. Exhausted defenders, as their last hope, fired from a cannon the last chick – “picok” they had. When the Turks saw it, they thought that in there there was an abundance of food, so they retreated. From that day on, people from Đurđevac are called "picoki".
The fact that the town of Đurđevec hasn't been conquered at that time supports this legend. After the Turks were no longer a threat, the importance of the building as a military base gradually disappeared. Over time its condition was getting worse.
At the end of the 20th century, the renovation began.
The reconstructed fortress has an irregular octagonal shape. It is a one-story building with a three-story tower. Inside the building there is a yard with a wooden balcony which extends along the entire first floor.
