St. Mark's Church in Zagreb

About

The Church of St. Mark (Croatian: Crkva sv. Marka, pronounced [tsr̩kʋa sʋetoɡ mar̩ka]) is the parish church of old Zagreb, located in St. Mark's Square in the Upper Town. It is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Zagreb. The most distinctive feature of the church is its medieval architecture and the colorful tiled roof featuring the coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia, as well as the emblem of the city of Zagreb. The church has been a symbol of the city's rich history, and its origins date back to the 13th century. Due to its gothic and romanesque architecture, it's registered under Cultural Goods of Croatia.

The Romanesque window found in its south facade is the best evidence that the church must have been built as early as the 13th century as is also the semicircular ground-plan of St. Mary's chapel (later altered).

In the second half of the 14th century, the church was radically reconstructed. It was then turned into a late Gothic church of the three-nave type.

Massive round columns support heavy ribbed vaults cut in stone and an air of peace and sublimity characterizes the church interior in its simplicity. The most valuable part of St. Mark's Church is its south portal, considered to be the work of sculptors of the Parler family from Prague (end of the 14th century).

The Gothic composition of the portal consists of fifteen effigies placed in eleven shallow niches. On top are the statues of Joseph and Mary with the infant Jesus, and below them one can see St. Mark and the Lion; the Twelve Apostles are placed on both sides of the portal (four wooden statues replaced the original ones which had been destroyed). In its artistic composition and the number of statues, this portal is the richest and the most valuable Gothic portal in southern Central Europe.

Outside, on the northwest wall of the church lies the oldest coat of arms of Zagreb with the year 1499 engraved in it (the original is kept in the Zagreb City Museum ).

On the roof, tiles are laid so that they represent the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background) and Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.

As the corner of St. Mark's Square and the present day Street of Ćiril and Metod, was a Town Hall, the seat of the city administration in medieval times. The building has gone through a number of alteration and reconstruction phases, and today this old Town Hall still keeps its doors open for the meetings of the Zagreb City Council.

- In 1256, the city municipality of Gradec received the right to hold Mark's annual fair, so it follows that there was already a church then. Church of St. Mark is located in the middle of the square, from which the streets are properly separated, so it can be seen that the city was founded according to the plan – all at once. (A. Horvat).

- In 1261, Queen Maria decreed, with the consent of Bishop Filip, that the patronage of the church should be given to the city, not the bishop.

- In 1334, " Item ecclesia sancti Marci in castro Grecensi " is mentioned, i.e. in the fortified settlement of Gradec.

- In 1359, the organist of the church of St. Mark, which shows that the church of St. Marka had an organ, which was befitting a royal city (L. Šaban). It is the first mention of an organ in Croatia.

- In 1499, it was demolished and a new one was built, for advocates against the plague of St. Fabijan and Sebastljan. On it was the oldest preserved stone coat of arms of the City from 1409.

- In 1645, the church was badly damaged in a fire, as well as in 1674 and 1707, together with the bells.

- In 1673, through a series of repairs, the church gradually changed its appearance in the 17th and 18th centuries, when there were 8 altars in the church. The altars were removed in 1880. In front of the altar of St. The city judges with the representation and the Croatian bans assured the cross that they will strictly observe the laws. In a niche near that altar, the charters of Gradec were kept. Memories of the patrons of some altars are preserved by pictures on the windows (Mark, Luke, John the Baptist, Paul, Joseph and Mary). Some statues of thrown altars, among which there are works by local masters of the workshop of Zagreb bishop J. Branjug, found refuge in museums.

- In 1740, the Zagreb canon J. Rees acquired an organ with 22 registers, which means that, along with the organ of the Zagreb Cathedral, it was the largest in the country. In the same year, city senator Ivan Hyacintha erected a pillar of the Immaculate Mary in front of the church with a gilded image on a tall pillar and stone statues of St. Joseph, St. John of Nepomuk, St. Ivana ev. and St. John the Baptist at the foot. This work by Claudio Kentz was on the square until 1869.

- In 1771, the idea of demolishing the church arose because it was too narrow, and it was proposed that the parish church be the church of St. Catherine. Josip II saved the church from demolition, saying that it is a solidly built monument that must be preserved.

- In 1805, the city representatives again had the intention of demolishing the church, but Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac and learned parish priest Dr. J Karvančić resisted.

- In 1848, some again proposed the demolition of the church, but others were of the opinion that it should be thoroughly repaired.

- In 1888, the church of the Virgin Mary was demolished, so that a fountain could be installed in front of the church during the arrival of King Francis Joseph. The remaining stone base is incorrectly interpreted as the rest of the throne, on which Matija Gubec was tortured.