The fortress in the city of Smederevo 35 km downstream from Belgrade on the Danube river was built between 1426-30 by Despot Djuradj Brankovic the last of Serbia’s medieval rulers. The fortress was built with a purpose of being a centre of civil and spiritual reign. It is the grandest military monument in Serbia and one of the biggest medieval fortresses. The Smederevo Fortress is a large complex surrounded by ramparts and towers and was a for a long time the last bastion against Ottoman invasion.