Utvrda Possert (Posrt/Šabec)

Belaj, Cerovlje, Croatia, Croatia

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Utvrda Possert (also called Posrt, Posert Castle, or Šabec/Schabez and historically St. Martin) is a ruined medieval fortress in Istria, Croatia, located near the road between Paz and Šušnjevica in the municipality of Cerovlje, close to the village of Belaj.

Archaeological evidence dates the main structure to the second half of the 14th century, possibly built by the Counts of Gorizia (who ruled the area until 1374) or by the Habsburgs after they inherited their estates, while an earlier Church of St. Martin nearby is recorded in 1367. The castle was largely devastated during the Uskok War (1615–1617) and later became ruined and abandoned, after which the noble family nearby built a new Belaj Castle to the south.

Between 2009 and 2014 the fortress was restored, preserving its irregular trapezoidal layout with a rectangular guard tower that still stands about 17 meters tall (8 meters long by 6 meters wide) and originally had five floors. Set on a hillslope with open views over Central Istria toward the south and west, Possert today offers visitors a scenic view of the region and stands as one of Istria’s restored medieval fortresses near Cerovlje.