Stone Gate and The Patron Saint of Zagreb

While it’s first mentioned in records from the 14th century as “Porta lapidea” (meaning “stone gate”), historians believe it was built way back in the 13th century. Over the years, some changes have been seen. The arrow slits on the west and north sides were added in the 16th century. The vaulted ceiling in the passageway with three little shops and their windows date back to the 17th century. They’re the oldest shops in Zagreb. The gate got its current look in 1760.

But Stone Gate is famous for more than just its architecture. Inside, there’s a chapel with a painting of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Stone Gate. This chapel was built in 1731 after a huge fire swept through the city, and the ornate baroque fence around the altar was crafted by a local master, Ivan Korta, in 1778. The painting itself is pretty special – it shows Mary as a queen, holding a scepter in her left hand and baby Jesus in her right, who in turn is holding a tiny globe. It’s a powerful symbol of the city, and it was actually saved from demolition by the Society of Brethren of the Croatian Dragon who now have their headquarters in the historical hall upstairs.

The story of the Virgin Mary’s image at Stone Gate is quite something. It all goes back to that big fire in 1731. It started late one night in a seminary building and quickly spread, engulfing the Gradec and then the neighboring Kaptol area. Stone Gate was engulfed in flames, and a widow named Modlar, who lived in an apartment above it, lost everything. But a few days later, while sifting through the ashes, she found the image of Mary completely unharmed – only the wooden frame had been burned! It was seen as a miracle, and the widow set up a small altar in the gate’s passageway so that everyone could come and venerate the holy image. Interestingly, experts confirmed in 1929 that the painting had indeed been touched by the flames that destroyed its wooden backing. Tests proved that the Virgin Mary was not painted on a fire-resistant material.

Stone Gate even made it into a novel! August Šenoa‘s “The Goldsmith’s Treasure” (1871) tells the story of a goldsmith named Krupić and his daughter Dora, who lived on Kamenita (Stone) Street. There’s a statue of Dora in a niche on the west side of the gate, sculpted by the modern artist Ivo Kerdić.

Stone Gate is a protected cultural monument of the Republic of Croatia, and in 1991, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić officially declared Our Lady of the Stone Gate the patron saint of Zagreb.