| Set beneath a tree near the Large Gate is a bust commemorating the Nikola Jurišić, the Senj-born military man who was a major player in the Austrian-Croatian struggle to hold back the Ottoman Turks. Jurišić’s finest hour came in 1532, when he led the defence of the Hungarian frontier fortress of Köszeg against a significantly larger Ottoman force led in person by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Repeated Ottoman attacks proved ineffective (some say that the miraculous intervention of St Martin prevented the town from falling), and a disgruntled Suleyman gave up after 25 days. Emperor Ferdinand presented Jurišić with the town of Köszeg as a reward. Jurišić subsequently served as court advisor and imperial emissary to the Ottoman Empire. |