Castle with Kvadrac tower

In “the great palace” the Law Codex of Vinodol was written in 1288, the most important text of mediaeval life in the Frankopan possession of Vinodol. It is written in the Croatian language in the Glagolitic script, and adopted on the square in front of the castle that same year. Along with Count Leonard, the Codex was signed by nine representatives of the free Vinodol towns: Novi Vinodolski, Ledenica, Bribir, Grižane, Drivenik, Hreljin, Bakar, Trsat and Grobnik. The original castle was surrounded by double walls with a long and narrow courtyard, an administrative building and two towers (round, so-called Rondel, and a square one). Between the towers there was the main wing of the castle with a residential purpose. Inside the castle there was a courtyard with a cistern and columns with arcades. The castle in Novi Vinodolski was one of the strongest and longest-lasting strongholds of the Frankopans. At the time of the Ottoman conquest of the hinterland – Lika, Krbava, Gacka, it was here that the Modruš-Senj Bishop Kristofor hid and he was also buried in the Parish Church of Sveti Filip i Jakov. The Ottomans even invaded the town once, whilst the Venetians also robbed and almost destroyed it. In 1996 in the room where the Law Codex of Vinodol was signed the Croatian Institute for Human Rights was established which draws its origin right from this law.