From September 15 to 16, 2025, the National Park Brijuni in Croatia served as the backdrop for the international scientific conference titled “Fortified Architecture for the Culture of Peace – European Best Practice in Fortified Heritage Management”. Organized by the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula in collaboration with the FORTIC partnership consortium (led by the City of Pula-Pola) and international networks FORTE CULTURA and EFFORTS, the conference brought together over 50 researchers from across Europe. The event featured nine thematic panels, each addressing various aspects of fortified heritage, from sustainable management to digital transformation and cultural tourism. The conference was special, as every contributor prepared a detailed paper, and the final book is scheduled for publication at the beginning of 2026.

Involvement of FORTE CULTURA

Several members of the FORTE CULTURA Network played pivotal roles in the conference. Lets mention at least the presentations of FORTE CULTURA representatives:

• Members of the FORTE CULTURA Scientific Advisory Board
  • Ass. Prof. Nataša Urošević (Head of the Scientific Advisory Board): Urošević’s leadership in the Scientific Advisory Board ensured the academic rigor of the conference, guiding the selection of topics, speakers and organizing the conference as such. Her presentation was focused on the problematic valorisation of the Pula forts.
  • Dr. Marcin Górski: Srebrna Góra Fortress (PL) lost its military function, was abandoned, and gradually damaged. Marcin emphasized that the protection of fortified monuments should not focus solely on preserving their material values but, above all, on restoring their utility through new functions. After nearly thirty years of revitalization efforts, a large part of the fortress is now in use, housing museums, exhibitions, accommodation, and gastronomic facilities, with further adaptations still underway.
  • Prof. Dr. Teresa Colletta: Fortified heritage is a vital part of human history and cultural identity, forming interconnected defensive landscapes rather than isolated forts. Teresa argued that creating networks and cultural itineraries of fortifications offers an innovative and sustainable way to enhance, preserve, and reuse these sites.
  • Dipl.-Ing. Volker Pachauer: The aim was to analyze the Austro-Hungarian fortification system around Pula as a form of strategic infrastructure, following Paul Virilio’s view that war fundamentally alters building conditions. The paper also presents student projects exploring the transformation of military landscape into a cultural and socially meaningful space of peace.
  • Dr. John Ebejer: examined Valletta as a case study of a fortified city facing conservation challenges shaped by tourism and commercial pressures. He argued that heritage protection must go beyond preserving buildings to also enhance the city’s liveability and support its resident community. The paper calls for stronger planning and management frameworks to balance tourism with preservation.
  • Dr. Olha Tikhonova: Scientific member of FORTE CULTURA & EFFORTS explored the historical, social, and cultural significance of fortified cities, with particular focus on Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly Stanisławów) in Ukraine. She demonstrated how bastion cities, once defensive strongholds, evolved into agents of social cohesion, cultural continuity, and urban resilience. Drawing on the typology of Ukrainian fortified cities and their Renaissance roots, she underlined their potential as instruments for community engagement, tourism, and sustainable urban development.
• Members of the FORTE CULTURA board
  • Filippo Cailotto: As the President of FORTE CULTURA, Cailotto contributed to the overarching vision of connecting the New European Bauhaus with creative tourism.
  • Dirk Röder: Focused on presenting FORTE CULTURA as a whole, emphasizing common projects within the network and outlining the progress of the route’s certification as a European Cultural Route.
  • Tomáš Jirouch: Presenting the cases in Czechia, the contribution offered insights into the management of fortified heritage in the Czech Republic through the lens of Czech media discourse, with particular attention to Terezín and Josefov.

List of presentations

The conference offered a platform for discussion on innovative conservation techniques, community-centered planning, and the reinterpretation of fortified sites as spaces for cultural dialogue and economic opportunity. The presented studies were acknowledged for advancing the understanding of how historical fortified spaces can be integrated into contemporary urban life, offering a valuable model for sustainable development across European fortifications. The event provided valuable professional engagement, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange for ongoing and future projects concerning the preservation and revitalization of historic fortified urban landscapes.

Plenary Lectures

• Maria Gravari-Barbas (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University): From Defending Paris to Culture: The Heritage of Paris’ Fortifications
• Donatella Rita Fiorino (University of Cagliari): Interinstitutional Synergies for Regeneration Strategies – The Case Study of La Maddalena Entrenched Field, Sardinia (Italy)
• John Harris (Fortress Study Group, UK): A Comparative Review of Best Practice in the Sustainable Reuse of Post-Artillery Fortifications in the UK and Internationally

Panel 1 – Strategic Guidelines for Protection and Valorisation of Fortified Heritage in the Adriatic Region

• Daniela Angelina Jelinčić: Cultural Heritage in Practice: Sustainability, Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment, and Participatory Management
• Zofia Mavar: The State of Fortifications in the Pula Fortress System – Issues, Positive Experiences, and Strategic Guidelines for Protection and Rehabilitation
• Kristina Perkov (Online): Challenges and Opportunities in Repurposing Abandoned Military Sites for Urban Regeneration in Coastal Cities of Croatia
• Kristina Afrić Rakitovac & Nataša Urošević: Heritage of European Naval Ports and Historic Arsenals – The Case of Pula

Panel 2 – Transforming Fortifications into Cultural, Educational, and Scientific Hubs

• Daniel Gethmann & Volker Pachauer: Strategic Infrastructure – the Austro-Hungarian Fortification System Around Pula
• Wojciech Rymsza-Mazur (Online): Research, Studies, and Projects on Selected Structures in the Defensive Landscape of the Pula Fortress (2002–2025)
• Milena Mičić: Revitalization of the Austro-Hungarian Fortifications on the Verudela Peninsula
• Olha Tikhonova: Fortified Cities as Pillars for Unity and Sustainable Development

Panel 3 – Revitalizing Fortified Systems of Pula and Brijuni Islands

• Katarina Marić & Katarina Pocedić: The Pula Fort Center – Digital Transformation of the Fortified Heritage
• Breda Bizjak: Revitalization of the Austro-Hungarian Underground System in Pula
• Emil Jurcan: Restoration Project of the Giacone Coastal Battery on Brijuni Islands
• Pia Boljunčić: Revitalization of Tower Fort Monte Grosso and the Restoration of the Fortified Path of Pula

Panel 4 – Fortified Landscapes: Conceptualization and Interpretation

• Jana Rodić: Extended Reality (XR) for Digital Valorization of Fortified Heritage: Challenges, Solutions, and Audience Engagement
• Dunja Predić: From Closed Systems to Sensorial Transparency: Structural Monitoring of Fortified Heritage as Infrastructure of Trust and Spatial Resilience
• Julia Gesell (Online): Museums and Cultural Institutions as Inclusive Spaces – Fortress Königstein Case
• Marijana Fabijanić & Vana Đapić (Online): Fortified Heritage Terminology and Linguistic Landscape: The Case of the Transnational UNESCO Site “Venetian Works of Defence Between the 16th and 17th Centuries Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar”

Panel 5 – Adriatic Cross-Border Fortified Heritage: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

• Karla Papeš & Andrija Nakić: Fortifying the Eastern Adriatic Under French Rule (1806–1813)
• Josip Pavić & Gorana Barišić Bačelić (Online): Emphasizing the Dissonance: The Reopening and Reuse of a WWII Tunnel Beneath St. John’s Fortress in Šibenik, Croatia
• Ilija Lalošević: Fortification Architecture of Boka Kotorska Bay
• Saša Slijepčević & Saša Nikolić: The Fortified Heritage of “Kordonposten Gat” as One of the Pillars of Tourism Development in Gacko

Panel 6 – Sustainable Fortified Heritage Ecosystems: Italian Experiences

• Nicola Camatti, Federico Camerin, Francesco Gastaldi (Online): Investigating the Reuse of Adriatic Fortified Heritage Through Real and Digital Business Ecosystems. The Cases of Italy and Croatia
• Fiorenzo Meneghelli (Online): The Recovery of Fortified Heritage in the Process of Environmental and Urban Redevelopment: Forte Tesoro and Forte Aurelia
• Daniele Sferra & Fiorenzo Meneghelli (Online): Forte Marghera, a Tangible Example of Sustainable Fortified Heritage Business Ecosystem
• Gerardo Semprebon (Online): After NATO in Lessinia (Verona): Design Questions for the Sustainable Development of Decommissioned Telecommunication Sites

Panel 7 – European Best Practice in Fortified Heritage Management

• Tuija Lind: A Critical Analysis of a Long-Term Reuse Project of Fortified Heritage Suomenlinna (Helsinki, Finland)
• John Ebejer (Online): Conservation Issues of a Fortified Historic Town: The Case Study of Valletta
• Tomáš Jirouch: Fortified Heritage Policy in the Czech Republic: The Cases of Terezín and Josefov
• Anna Staniewska, Jadwiga Środulska-Wielgus & Krzysztof Wielgus: “Finis Coronat Opus” – What Influences Successful Fortified Heritage Restoration? Experiences from Recent Case Studies from the Krakow Fortress
• Celia Clark (Online): Barracks, Forts and Ramparts. Regeneration Challenges for Portsmouth Harbour’s Defence Heritage
• Jeroen van der Werf (Online): Preservation Through Development – The Case of Naarden (Netherlands)

Panel 8 – Valorising Fortified Architecture and Culture of Peace in European Cross-Border Regions

• Marcin Górski: Problems of Using Fortified Objects in the Process of Designing New Functions in Srebrna Góra Fortress
• Filippo Cailotto: Integrating Creative Tourism and New European Bauhaus Principles in the Management of Fortified Heritage
• Tetiana Vietrova & Viktor Vietrov (Online): The Lithuanian Part of Medzhybizh Castle in the Context of the European Fortification Heritage of the 14th–15th Centuries
• Alena Bagro (Online): Fortified Sites as Green Areas: Examples of Implementation in Western Ukraine at the End of the 19th Century, Selected Examples

Panel 9 – Cultural Routes and Special Interest Tourism

• Eleonora Berti (Online): Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Tools to Connect Fortified Heritage – The Experience of Destination Napoleon
• Dirk Röder: Forte Cultura – European Cultural Route of Fortified Monuments
• Marie-Luise Binder-Krieglstein & James Miller: The Castle Road: A Case Study in the Use of a Network of Fortifications as Motors of Sustainable Rural Tourism Development
• Teresa Colletta (Online): Creative Tourism and Cultural Itineraries. An Innovative Strategy for the Enhancement of Fortification Networks

Topics in detail

The conference fostered interdisciplinary dialogue on European best practices in the sustainable valorization and revitalization of fortified and former military heritage, highlighting their transformation into spaces for international cultural and scientific cooperation, civil and peace initiatives, solidarity, and intercultural exchange. Former military heritage, defensive architecture, and fortification systems were presented as potential European cultural corridors and meeting spaces for young Europeans, promoting a culture of peace, balanced cultural and social development, and a shared European identity.

The event demonstrated that participatory and sustainable management of fortified heritage through transnational networking and cooperation can support balanced urban planning and enhance the quality of life for local communities. Multidisciplinary research presented at the conference addressed current European challenges, including climate change, energy crises, geopolitical tensions, the integration of migrants, and sustainable community development. Proper valorization of European fortified sites was shown to contribute to sustainable urban planning, the objectives of the European Green Deal, and the promotion of European values of peace and democracy.

The Adriatic region, with its strategic geopolitical position and multicultural history at the crossroads of Euro-Mediterranean civilizations, provided a rich setting for the conference. The area’s Venetian and Austro-Hungarian coastal fortifications, some already recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites and others like the former Naval Fortress Pula awaiting proper valorization, served as concrete examples of Europe’s shared fortified heritage.

Conference papers covered a wide range of topics, including:

• Challenges and best practices for cultural heritage of fortified monuments
• Historical research and theoretical conceptualization of fortified heritage
• Inventario e ricerca di edifici
• Restoration, preservation, conversion, and sustainable reuse
• European Heritage Label and World Heritage nominations
• Sviluppo urbano e regionale
• Abandoned military areas and urban regeneration
• Fortified sites as green areas for community wellbeing and inclusive placemaking
• Fortifications as hubs of innovation and social entrepreneurship
• Fortresses as sites for education, culture, and peace
• Sustainable tourism development and best practice implementation
• Socio-economic impact of fortified heritage
• Monitoring and measuring sustainability of tourism at World Heritage sites
• Climate change and sustainability
• Digital heritage
• Transnational networking and cultural routes

All contributors submitted detailed papers, which are now set to be compiled into the conference proceedings, scheduled for publication at the beginning of 2026.

The event was held as part of the project FORTIC – From remains Of the war to the aRchiTecture of peace in cross-border area of Italy-Croatia, which aims to strengthen the role of Adriatic cross-border cultural heritage by recognizing and valorizing European best practice in fortified heritage management. The FORTIC Project is part of the EU’s Interreg Italy – Croatia 2021-2027 Programme, which prioritizes culture and sustainable tourism as drivers of economic growth, social inclusion, and innovation.