Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
into a castle to defend against potential Ottoman invasion. You can still see the pointy tops
of the round guard towers on either side of the church; until a century ago, this wall ran
along the road behind you, completely enclosing the building. (The St. Mary pillar stands
upon the round footprint of another one of the towers.) The church was severely damaged
again, this time by an earthquake in 1880. The current version is Neo-Gothic (completed
in 1902), incorporating a few original Gothic elements. Much of the wall was torn down to
allow the town to grow.
Walkingclosertothemaindoor,looktothelefttoseethe
two spires
displayedinsidethe
wall. The one on the left, eroded down to a pathetic nub, demonstrates what happens when
youuseabundant—butporous—limestonetobuildachurchinaclimate withcold,freezing
winters. (They can get away with using limestone on the coast, but in chilly Zagreb, it's just
nottherightmaterial.)Somepartofthechurchwillcertainlybecoveredbyscaffoldingdur-
ing your visit—as it has been for decades, as restorers have gradually been replacing worn
elements with new ones...this time, using a more durable stone.
Just before entering the church, appreciate the modern tympanum (carved semicircular
section over the door). Then step inside and wander down the nave, taking in the opulence
of the church. When it was completed, Zagreb was a small city of about 70,000 people; the
construction of a church this finely decorated hints at the wealth of the city during its boom
time. (In later times, that money dried up; the big chandeliers hanging in the nave were re-
portedly imported from Las Vegas—the best source for affordable glitz—in the 1970s.)
First, head to the
main altar
and look closely at the silver relief: a whimsical scene of
the Holy Family doing chores around the house (Mary sewing, Joseph and Jesus building a
fence...and angels helping out).
From the altar, turn left, then head to the front of the church. In the front-left corner
(on the wall, between the confessionals), find
Ivan Meštrovi
ć
's monument to Alojzije
Stepinac.
We'll learn more about Stepinac in a moment, but for now pay attention to this
beautifully carved piece of sculpture. Meštrovi
ć
, the talented Croatian sculptor, worked in
the early 20th century before fleeing communist Yugoslavia. Notice that this work was
carved in “Detroit, Mich, USA,” where Meštrovi
ć
lived out his days in a self-imposed ex-
ile. Meštrovi
ć
was a close friend of Stepinac, and carved this monument from half a world
away.
