Šibenik is located in the central part of the Croatian Adriatic coast, and it is the centre of the Šibensko-Kninska County in northern Dalmatia. The town was first mentioned in the Deed of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV. At the time Šibenik was an important town in the context of the medieval Croatian state. It became a municipality in 1298 when Pope Boniface VIII issued a Bull by which the town was given its own diocese. Šibenik caught up with the other Dalmatian towns and its faster progress was enabled. In the 15th century Šibenik came under the rule of Venice and remained under its rule for four centuries. In 1645 The Fifth Ottoman (Turkish) Venetian war broke out which lasted until 1669. Venetians managed to resist Turkish attacks and signed peace treaty in Karlowitz (Srijemski Karlovci) which eliminated Turkish threat to Šibenik forever. In 1797 there was the downfall of the Venetian Republic and Šibenik came under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy. The defeat of Austria in the war with France ended its rule in Dalmatia, and Šibenik fell under French rule. It lasted from 1806 to 1813 when Šibenik once again came under the Austrian rule which lasted until the end of World War I. After World War II Šibenik became a part of Yugoslavia and during that period the town expanded and development of tourism began. Šibenik is rich in monuments and one of its most important monuments is the Cathedral of St. James. It was built over a century long period .Today the Cathedral is under UNESCO's protection. In addition to the cathedral the town has a historical nucleus, the heart of which is the central town square with a multitude of monuments. Šibenik is a town which abounds in sacral monuments, 24 churches and six monasteries. Significant part of the architectural heritage of Šibenik , apart from sacral monuments, are fortifications. Best preserved fortification monuments are St. Michael’s Fortress, the Fortress of St. Nicholas, St. John's Fortress and Fortress Barone. They were built in order to protect the town from enemy attacks. Both sacral and fortification monuments represent an important architectural and construction heritage of Croatia and bear witness of the rich history of Šibenik.