St. Mark’s Church in Zagreb
The church has endured significant damage from earthquakes and fires throughout history, including earthquakes in 1502 and 1880, and large fires in the 17th and 18th centuries.
St. Mark’s Church is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Zagreb. It is situated on St. Mark’s Square and is surrounded by historic buildings that house the main institutions of the Republic of Croatia. On the east side, you can find the Parliament Palace, which is home to the Croatian Parliament. On the west side is the Banski dvori, where the Government of Croatia sits. On the north side, there’s the Constitutional Court of Croatia, and on the south side, you can see the Zagreb Assembly, located in the Old City Hall.
The Upper Town Parish Church is named after St. Mark the Evangelist. Church was first mentioned in 1256 when the Croatian-Hungarian king Bela IV, granted permission to hold fairs on the square in front of the church. Once a year, 8 days before and 8 days after the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, celebrated on April 25. This permission was granted through a document called the Golden Bull of 1242.
Over the centuries, the church has undergone several changes. Only the Romanesque windows and Gothic doors, created by the sculptor Ivan Parler between 1364 and 1377, have remained as original parts of the building. On the doors, there are statues of Jesus, Mary, St. Mark, and the twelve apostles, placed in fifteen niches. During the Baroque period, some of these statues were replaced by wooden copies.
The church has faced several tragic incidents throughout its history. For instance, in 1502, an earthquake caused the bell tower to collapse. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the church endured a devastating fire. The current bell tower was constructed in 1725, and it was adorned with a baroque bulb on top. However, it was not until 1841 that the Baroque bulb was covered with copper.
The current appearance of the church is, due to the neo-Gothic purification, that took place between 1876 and 1882. The renovation was led by Hermann Bolle according to the idea of the architect Friedrich von Schmidt. At the same time, all baroque altars were removed and replaced with neo-gothic ones. The western portal was also built, and the Gothic windows were replaced with stained glass. The walls were painted, and the church got its unique roof, which is covered with hanging glazed bricks used for decoration and large graves. On the left you will see the coat of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia, and on the right the coat of arms of the City of Zagreb with a red background.
After the unification of towns Gradac and Kaptol into one city, Zagreb needed a unique coat of arms. In 1896, red was replaced with blue, making blue the official color of the City of Zagreb.
The sculptor Ivan Meštrović and the painter Jozo Kljaković removed the neo-Gothic modifications from the church between 1936 and 1938. They took down the neo-Gothic altars and the plaster. Nowadays, the church is adorned with modern frescoes that depict Croatian kings, painted by Jozo Kljaković, and several statues by Ivan Meštrović. The main altar features a large Christ on the Cross, while the altar of St. The Cross has the statue Pieta, and an altar dedicated to Virgin Marie is adorned with a bronze sculpture of the Virgin and Child.
Before the second half of the 19th century, the main town square was St. Mark’s Square. Besides the fairgrounds, it hosted various social events. In front of the southern facade of the square was a pillar of shame. City officials and elected Bans of Croatia would swear an oath in front of the main altar in the church. In the past, the Ban held the highest position in the government and had the status of a viceroy in the Croatian-Hungarian kingdom.
Location
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is situated on the slopes of Medvednica mountain, in the Carpathian Basin, and on the banks of the Sava river. Zagreb has a rich and diverse history, culture, and architecture that reflect its long and turbulent past.
ExploreBaroque
One of the most remarkable periods in Croatian art history is the Baroque, which lasted from the 17th to the late 18th century. During this time, Croatia was reunited with the parts of its territory that were occupied by the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire, after centuries of fragmentation and division. This reunification not only brought political stability and economic prosperity but also stimulated a cultural revival and a flourishing of art in every segment.
ExploreGothic
Gothic appeared relatively late in Croatia. In addition to the 13th and 14th centuries, as long as it lasted in Europe, its influence is also visible in the 15th and 16th centuries – for example, on the Trogir and Sibenik cathedrals. Also on the territory of Croatia, you can often see admixtures of Romanesque and Renaissance in Gothic buildings. Gothic influence from European countries adapted to its possibilities and needs and thus created a “domestic artistic expression”. This mixture of styles is most pronounced in Dalmatia. The northern regions were exposed to the influences of Central Europe, while the coastal regions tied their artistic expression to Italian models.
ExploreRomanesque
In the 11th century, monumental cities were built along the entire Dalmatian coast. Houses were constructed from stone. On the ground floor there were shops or taverns (natively – konoba), seen today in cities such as Poreč, Rab, Zadar, Trogir, and Split. In those cities the most important buildings were churches. They were commonly stone-built basilicas with three naves, three apses, columns, arches, arcades and wooden roofs, and were erected near the monasteries of Benedictine monks who came out of Italy. St. Peter in Supetarska Draga on the island of Rab (11th century) is the best-preserved church of that type in Croatia. On the same island is the Cathedral of Rab (12th century) has a high-Romanesque bell tower, the largest in Dalmatia. It is specific with its openings, which multiply with each level of floor (Latin: mono-fore, bi-fore, tri-fore, quadro-fore). This is typical for Romanesque architecture, but also architecturally innovative, as each floor is slightly lighter than the one below.
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