Second Bulgarian Kingdom

Vidin was within the boundaries of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in 1195. The Metropolitan of Vidin participated in the enthronement of Archbishop Vasilii, without whom the coronation of Tsar Petar could not have taken place from the end of the 12th to the beginning of the 13th century, Belota ruled over the Bulgarian northwest (Vidin, Branichevo and Belgrade). In 1213, a rebellion broke out in the city against Tsar Boril in support of Tsar Kaloyan , who was beloved by the people of Vidin. The insurgents wanted to secede the northwest from Bulgaria. In 1285, Sishman 1 declared himself the independent ruler of the Principality of Vidin, who in 1292 started a war against Serbia. In 1356, Vidin became an independent kingdom (with its own mint) headed by Sratsimir, who titled himself "Tsar" of Bulgarians and Greeks. The last link between Vidin and Tarnovo was severed in 1381 when the church in Vidin came under the diocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Tsar Sratsimir and Tsaritsa Anna in 1360 commissioned the writing of the Bdinski/Vidinski Sbornik. After the fall of the Tornovo kingdom under Ottoman rule (1393), Vidin became the capital of Bulgaria, where the resistance against the Ottomans continued until 1422.

The Fortress of Belogradchik

The fortress of Belogradchik occupies a strategic location between the Balkan passages “Sveti Nikola” and “Kadu-Boaz”. It came into being during 1 -3 A.D. as a small fortress-rampart. The builder skillfully used the inaccessibility of the so-called elliptic stone terrace “first-plate” and has built it with defensive, observant, protective and communicative  functions. The archaeological excavations have discovered the foundations of wall, fragments, ceramics, iron spearheads and arrows, coins from the Roman emperors – Vespasian, Trajan, Septimus Severus, Gordian III, Trajan Decius. Traces of rectangular beams and channels, guiding rainwater into 85 square meters water supply can also be seen. The fortress was active also during the late antiquity. The ruler of Vidin Ivan Sratsimir (1355-1396) evaluated its strategic significance. During his reign it was additionally fortified and enlarged. Two partition walls and auxiliary buildings were constructed. The hanging wooden bridges and stone staircases provided more opportunities for quick manoeuvring. The name of the castle was first mentioned by Hungarian analyst describing the campaign of Ludwig First Anjou. The chronicle tells that within three months after seizing of Vidin on June 6th, 1365, all remaining fortresses were  also captured, including the fortress Fehervar (Belogradchik). The garrison, placed in the fortress, was expelled by rebelling Bulgarians in 1369.

In 1396 it was conquered by the Ottomans and partially destroyed. Eight guards were accommodated in 1454-1455, and a hundred years later, the garrison consisted of 27 people and one dizdar (chief of staff). Until the early 19th century, the new masters made only minor repairs and improvements on the fortifications. Entire reconstruction and enlargement started in 1805 by French engineers and was completed in 1837 by Italian fortification specialists. The newly built walls, made of stone blocks plastered with mortar reached 12 meters height and were 2.5 meters wide at the base. War tracks provided speed and mobility for the defenders. Three fortress yards and three portals were formed, strongly reinforced with massive doors bound with iron bands. Three canon embrasures and three canon platforms increased the defensive capacity of the fortress. Adjacent to them are underground stores for food and ammunition.

The fortress guards were placed in guardrooms equipped with fireplaces and stone window seats. The fortress road paved with cobble and crossing through the entire first courtyard, were also of economic importance. Small buildings, craft workshops, sheds for weapons were situated nearby. A barn resembling an “Indian hut”, a flour and salt mill and stables occupied the free area of the second yard. The needs of water were met  by a well located in the southern part of the middle yard and two tanks in which rain water was collected.

In order to strengthen the western sector of the defence’s structure, the so-called Syuleiman fortification was raised in 1862.

During the Russian-Turkish Liberation war (1877-1878) the fortress was besieged by Russian and Romanian troops. On February 25th, 1878 according to armistice the fortress laid down arms to the Allied forces.
The fate predestined the important role of the fortress during the Serbian-Bulgarian war in 1885 when under its walls were defeated the Serbian forces penetrated through Balkan passages.