top of page
Contact and information
Address
Ivanić-Grad
Phone
+385 1 28 81 591
E-mail address
Web page
From church to church in Kloštar Ivanić, Križ and Ivanić-Grad
The western Moslavina, also known as Otok Ivanić (Cro. otok – an island), abounds in sacral heritage. From the exquisite churches of Kloštar, Ivanić, and Križ to the pious folk shrines along the Sava River, emerges a unique view into the spiritual and cultural history of the region.
Our churches' ups and downs, miracles and legends, constructions and demolitions wait to be discovered with the help of the audio guide below!
Anchor 11
Ivanić-Grad - St. Peter’s Church
Kloštar Ivanić - Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Book of Wonders of Kloštar
Kloštar Ivanić - Church of St. John the Baptist
Franciscan pharmacy
Stara Marča - Chapel of St. Michal
Novoselec - Church of St. Vitus
Križ - Church of the Holy Cross
Posavski Bregi - Church of St. Maximianus of Ravenna
Lijevi Dubrovčak - Church of St. Nicholas
Anchor 1
Ivanić-Grad
St. Peter’s Church
Remembers War, Celebrates Peace
00:00 / 02:21
Remembers War, Celebrates Peace
Who doesn't love parks! Especially if they can take us on a journey through time, like the one you’re standing in right now can! Get those brain cells firing and paint a picture in your mind: imagine there are no trees and that you are surrounded by the massive wooden walls of a fort. There are guards on patrol on the bastions at its corners and it is also protected by ramparts and water. Add to this image in your mind two small church towers, one inside the walls and one outside. Have you done this? Excellent! You’ve just painted a picture of the late 16th century when, alongside the existing fort in Ivanić Grad, the first chapel, which predates the current Church of St. Peter the Apostle, was erected.
During the turbulent times of the 16th and 17th centuries, while this area was the border between the two great empires of the time, the Austrian and Ottoman ones, churches were a place for people to escape their bleak realities. As such, and since they were equally important for soldiers and commoners, it’s no wonder that two chapels were erected in such a small area. The one inside the walls, dedicated to St. John of Capistrano, served the army. Commoners found solace in St. Peter’s Chapel, located outside the fort.
After the threat of war had passed at the end of the 17th century, the population was faced with other hardships, mainly poverty. This is best illustrated by the fact that St. Peter’s Chapel, the upkeep of which was funded through donations, became too expensive to maintain and a decision was made to demolish it in 1775.
Luckily, some 50 years later, in 1831, a new stone church was built for the Parish of Ivanić, the beauty of which we can still see today. Around that time, with the changes brought by the new epoch, Ivanić began to take on a more peaceful look. The prosperity which came at the start of the 20th century meant that St. Peter’s Church got a new lease of life; it was fully renovated, painted in beautiful rich frescoes, and equipped with a 14-stop organ.
Anchor 2
Kloštar Ivanić
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Eight Centuries of Our Lady of Kloštar
00:00 / 02:41
Eight Centuries of Our Lady of Kloštar
The sacral heritage of our region would not be what it is without the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kloštar. Where we are standing now, the first church dedicated to Mary, and the first church in the area of Ivanić Grad as a whole, was during the first half of the 13th century.
If you’re wondering why it wasn’t erected in Ivanić Grad, which is the centre of the region, have another think. This was in the Middle Ages when the plains were swampy and unsafe, while hills like this one offered a good vantage point and better security. The centre of the Ivanić of the Middle Ages was, in other words, located in what is now Kloštar Ivanić.
But let’s get back to this church. It’s founder, Bishop Stephen of Zagreb, had big plans for this location. Alongside the church, he had a convent built, the Croatian word for which, Kloštar, would become the basis for the name of the town itself. He brought in nuns from the convent of St. Norbert in France, who would go on to open one of the first girls’ schools in Croatia. However, Stephen’s vision quickly disintegrated, partly because of the frequent Tatar raids and because of the less than exemplary behaviour of the nuns who would leave the convent soon after.
A second attempt was more successful. Benedictine nuns arrived at the convent and would stay until the end of the 15th century, gaining huge respect from the locals. They helped develop the area’s spiritual and social life and fostered economic activity. For example, at the end of the 14th century, they received permission to hold a fair on the day of the Assumption of Mary, the protector of their parish. At the end of the 1430s, this permission had been extended so that fairs could be held on St. John’s Day and on the Second Sunday of Easter.
At the end of the 15th century, the Benedictine nuns left Ivanić due to the increasing threat of Ottoman attacks. They left behind a church and convent which were exposed to war and the sands of time. You should then not be surprised that standing before you today isn’t a medieval building, but a church constructed in the middle of the 18th century. However, if you look closely at the lower layers, you’ll notice some of the material of the original church which formed the foundation for the current one.
The new church was decorated in a rich Baroque style. The baptistery, pulpit, the seven altars, and the throne of the Blessed Virgin Mary stand out. The only thing which remains from the old church was the wonderous painting of Mary which you can see at the main altar.
Anchor 3
The Book of Wonders of Kloštar
The Book of Wonders of Kloštar
00:00 / 02:24
Did you know that by visiting Kloštar, you are continuing more then 300-years old pilgrimage tradition! During the 17th and 18th centuries, and especially after it underwent major renovations in 1757, the church of Our Lady of Kloštar was one of the largest holy sites in this region of Croatia. Sources mention that, during the celebrations of the Assumption, up to 20,000 pilgrims would visit! Believing in the power of their heavenly protector, people from all over central Croatia would come to ask for her intercession or to thank her for answering their prayers.
A historical document, known as the Book of Wonders of Our Lady of Kloštar, paints a very vivid picture of these pilgrims. It is a collection of testimonies of miracles which occurred on the intercessions of Mary and were written down by the priests of Ivanić Grad Parish between 1757 and 1782. In total, 59 miracles were recorded, as witnessed by believers who were mostly poor commoners, which gives this fascinating book immense value. While typical historical documents rarely speak about the common man, the Book of Wonders provides a unique insight into the lives of the 18th century peasant and the challenges faced.
These were common, and often tragic. The book speaks of bone diseases, of unhealed wounds, of diseases affecting the eyes, and of respiratory illnesses. It tells of the experiences of mothers giving birth while working in the fields and of parents praying for the revival of a drowned child, among many other things. In the spirit of the time in which the book was written, it also talks about Mary helping to remove curses cast by local witches and of her chasing snakes away from fields and country roads.
Representing an invaluable perspective on the faith, fears, sicknesses, misfortunes, and superstitions of its time, the Book of Wonders can be seen in person if you visit the Franciscan pinacotheca which is part of the church you’re standing next to.
Anchor 4
Kloštar Ivanić
Church of St. John the Baptist
The Stormy Life of the Franciscan Church
00:00 / 02:37
The Stormy Life of the Franciscan Church
At the start of the 16th century, the small 13th century chapel of St. John the Baptist was replaced by one of the biggest Gothic churches in inland Croatia along with a monastery. Have you noticed the detail which tells us when this imposing building was built? Look up! The coat of arms chiselled into the church depicting an eagle with spread wings contains an inscription of 1508, the year construction was completed. This was funded by Bishop Luka Baratin of Zagreb. When the church and monastery were completed, the bishop invited Franciscan monks to live there. At a time when the Order was spreading its network of monasteries, they were more than happy to take on the care of a holy site as important as this one. But, as the saying goes, man dreams, God decides.
As early as 1549, the Franciscans of Kloštar would abandon the church and monastery because of the ever-increasing danger of Ottoman attacks.
The role of the church would also change very quickly. After being given permission by Zagreb, the captain of the nearby fort in Ivanić, today’s Ivanić Grad, placed 50 horsemen in the vacant monastery, along with refugees from the nearby town of Čazma, while the church was used to store gunpowder. This would very soon prove to have been an unwise decision. One night in 1572, the soldiers, having had one too many drinks, accidentally set fire to the hay in the stables. This fire spread quickly to the church where the gunpowder was stored which resulted in a thunderous explosion. While the church and monastery were patched up to an extent by the army, proper reconstruction, done in the Baroque style, would not take place until the decades following the return of the Franciscans to Kloštar Ivanić in 1639.
As fate would have it, this church would also face more trials and tribulations in 1944 when, during the height of the Second World War, it suffered heavy damage. In the context of socialism, repairing the church would not be a priority. In 1978, replacing the Franciscans who had run the Kloštar parish church and the parish itself from 1936, Carmelite nuns moved into the monastery. While they gave new meaning to the monastery, the church is still waiting for repairs to this day.
Anchor 5
Franciscan pharmacy
Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is the Cure
00:00 / 02:38
The Stormy Life of the Franciscan Church
Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is the Cure
As early as 1593, the Franciscan Order decided that each monastery should collect books and house a library. Returning from exile in 1693, the Franciscans of Kloštar put this edict into effect. The books they began to collect formed the basis of the library which exists to this day and boasts some highly valuable works.
The oldest part of the book collection is the so-called incunables, books written at the very beginnings of printing during the late 15th century. The library in Kloštar has three of these. All are works which have only a few copies throughout the world. The library also contains rare works written in the 16th century, as well as medical and pharmaceutical books written in later centuries.
Now, you may be thinking “hang on, of course you’d be boasting! What library doesn’t say it keeps valuable books?” Thank goodness that there are important historical works throughout the world, but those kept by the Kloštar Franciscans really are special. Among the 16th century works there are, to name a few, two Bibles, one of which is a German translation by Martin Luther, a staple of German printing at the time. Of works in Croatian, there are many sermons in the kajkavian dialect, which is why this library is so important for the study of the dialect. Another work, which locals will be familiar with from school, is Petar Zrinski’s Siren of the Adriatic Sea, printed in 1660.
Most books are related to medicine and pharmacology. In fact, in 1728 at the latest, a Franciscan pharmacy was opened as part of the monastery and is the oldest in this part of Croatia. Apart from various wounds and what we would call trauma today, the Franciscans treated ocular diseases, especially trachoma, and they also tried to deal with epidemics like the plague.
It is no surprise that, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Franciscan pharmacy was integrated into the healthcare system of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1811, meaning it was open to the public and moved to its own location close to the monastery. At the start of the 20th century, this building was demolished, and the pharmacy was given a new home which stands to this day, albeit out of use, right next to the monastery’s walls. Can you see it?
As early as 1549, the Franciscans of Kloštar would abandon the church and monastery because of the ever-increasing danger of Ottoman attacks.
The role of the church would also change very quickly. After being given permission by Zagreb, the captain of the nearby fort in Ivanić, today’s Ivanić Grad, placed 50 horsemen in the vacant monastery, along with refugees from the nearby town of Čazma, while the church was used to store gunpowder. This would very soon prove to have been an unwise decision. One night in 1572, the soldiers, having had one too many drinks, accidentally set fire to the hay in the stables. This fire spread quickly to the church where the gunpowder was stored which resulted in a thunderous explosion. While the church and monastery were patched up to an extent by the army, proper reconstruction, done in the Baroque style, would not take place until the decades following the return of the Franciscans to Kloštar Ivanić in 1639.
As fate would have it, this church would also face more trials and tribulations in 1944 when, during the height of the Second World War, it suffered heavy damage. In the context of socialism, repairing the church would not be a priority. In 1978, replacing the Franciscans who had run the Kloštar parish church and the parish itself from 1936, Carmelite nuns moved into the monastery. While they gave new meaning to the monastery, the church is still waiting for repairs to this day.
Anchor 6
Stara Marča
Chapel of St. Michal
A Symbol of Unity
00:00 / 02:52
A Symbol of Unity
Besides its wonderful views, Stara Mača holds many historical curiosities. You are standing at the location of a medieval monastery of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Its existence is confirmed by one important record dating back to 1207. However, we can conclude that the monastic tradition continued to exist in later times, given that that, during the 16th century, refugees from Bosnia fleeing war found sanctuary here and, along with them, came priests from the Orthodox Church. They founded a monastery dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, and Marča became the centre of the eparchy.
In the 17th century, surrounded by a Catholic people and persuaded by the support of the Ivanić parish and the diocese of Zagreb, the Orthodox refugees, led by Bishop Simeon
Vratanja, took a decision to unify with the Catholic Church. As a result, the Pope accepted Simeon as the archimandrite of all eastern orders in Croatia, Slavonia, Hungary, and parts of Kranjska. Marča became the centre of religious unity in Croatia and was the predecessor of the existing Greek Catholic Eparchy of Križevci.
This idyllic unity was broken over time. The local nobles were determined to turn the refugees into serfs even though, due to their importance in defending the border against the Ottomans, they had the protection of the king. As the threat of war faded, so did the position of the Greek Catholics. An additional pressure upon them had been put by the leaders of the Orthodox people who arrived during the late 17th century. In 1735, they cast out the Greek Catholic monks from the monastery. Upon the court's decision to return the monastery to the Greek Catholics – at that time already gone from Marča – the Orthodox burned down the building.
About a decade later, Marča briefly got a new lease of life when Queen Maria Theresa founded the town of Bjelovar and brought in members of the Piarist Order. They were initially located in Marča, but quickly moved to Bjelovar because local folks have not given them a warm welcome, to put it so.
The remains of the edifice were completely brought down during the next century and the building material was used in other locations. The area was ploughed over at the start of the 20th century, but a small chapel, dedicated to St. Michal, was erected in 1925. Along with the local Catholic chapel, it serves as a reminder of the historic role that Marča once had.
Anchor 7
Novoselec
Church of St. Vitus
A Keeper of Old Rituals
00:00 / 01:59
A Keeper of Old Rituals
Until the 18th century, the lowlands were not at all ‘prime real estate’. War, swamps, and disease made flatlands a place of danger, uncertainty, and a wooden architecture prone to deterioration in a humid environment. In this sense, the new stone Church of St. Vitus, erected instead of the wooden chapel at the end of the 18th century, can be seen as a harbinger of a new era and modern spatial development.
When we talk about the surroundings of the church, it’s worth mentioning that the River Česma flows nearby which is, along with the Lonja, the most significant waterway in the area and was, for a long time, not only a problem for the wooden buildings, but also for the local population. The river often flooded the area, with its flow being regulated only at the beginning of the 20th century. After that it has enjoyed a much better relationship with the church and its surroundings.
Apart from bearing witness to the spiritual and architectural history of this part of Croatia, the Church of St. Vitus serves as a landmark. How do you think it does so? The answer lies in the church’s sanctuary. Following traditional liturgic rules, it faces east, a practice which started as early as the 5th century. Given this, there was a long period when churches were positioned unnaturally in relation to their surroundings. The Renaissance, which placed emphasis on symmetry, put an end to this architectural and theological custom, which, interestingly enough, was respected here two and a half centuries later. Those building the church took advantage of the possibilities of the open landscape of the plains and kept a longstanding and almost forgotten tradition alive.
Anchor 8
Križ
Church of the Holy Cross
From the Church to the Fort and Back Again
00:00 / 02:02
From the Church to the Fort and Back Again
Križ is one of the oldest villages in Moslavina Region. So, it is easy to understand why, when the first parishes in Moslavina were being established in the Middle Ages, one was also inaugurated in Križ. It is first mentioned in 1334 and was founded by the Knights Templar, an order from Jerusalem. There is also mention of the presence of the Knights Hospitaller and the Order of St. Augustine.
Although its interior is nowadays of Baroque, a large church in whose shadow you are currently standing, was built in Gothic style in the 15th century. It was also a period of increasing threats and ever-growing raids from the Ottoman invaders. The details on the belfry bear witness to this. Have you noticed them? If you thought you saw small embrasures, then you have a keen eye and are good at making assumptions! Soon after it was built, the decorations on the belfry were replaced by slits for archers, thus giving the building a defensive function. In fact, in 1540 the church was attached to the captaincy of Ivanić and wooden fortifications and a moat filled with water were constructed.
Another point of interest is that the walls of this building contain elements of construction from antiquity. Above the main entrance we can see a stone sculpture of a lion, while in the period after the Ottoman incursions a path was built using Roman brick. In a period when the concept of preserving monumental heritage did not exist and neither could it be afforded at that time, the practice of using existing construction material was widespread. If it had not existed, we may well have been deprived of some buildings from the Middle Ages and the early Modern Era.
Anchor 9
Posavski Bregi
Church of St. Maximianus of Ravenna
Word and names at play
00:00 / 01:45
Word and Names at Play
Posavski Bregi is a typical lowland Pannonian village. You might think this is obvious. But for Croatian speakers, the question is why the word Bregi, meaning ‘hills’, is in the name? Well, you wouldn’t be the first to ask this. There is a simple reason. The River Sava, whose flow is now regulated and runs some four kilometres from here once meandered very close to this village. When the Sava flowed here, Posavski Bregi was located on slightly elevated terrain, or rather, the shore. In southern Slavic parts, the shore was often referred to as brijeg or breg.
In the exotic surroundings of the great river, a wooden chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross was built in the late 17th century. This was after the threat of war had become a thing of the past. Nevertheless, there was still the issue of a lack of people. The population grew gradually throughout the entire 18th century, and it was only at the beginning of the 19th century that the need for a new and bigger church arose. This was recognised by the famous Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac of Zagreb, who initiated the construction of a new church. It was finished in 1815, built in a measured Classicist style with an emphasis on clean lines and rectangular shapes. The furnishings in the interior are also Classicist, as are its decorations.
As a sign of gratitude to Bishop Vrhovac, the church was dedicated to St. Maximianus, the bishop of Ravenna from the 6th century.
Anchor 10
Lijevi Dubrovčak
Church of St. Nicholas
On the Sava with St. Nicholas
00:00 / 01:55
From the Church to the Fort and Back Again
Križ is one of the oldest villages in Moslavina Region. So, it is easy to understand why, when the first parishes in Moslavina were being established in the Middle Ages, one was also inaugurated in Križ. It is first mentioned in 1334 and was founded by the Knights Templar, an order from Jerusalem. There is also mention of the presence of the Knights Hospitaller and the Order of St. Augustine.
Although its interior is nowadays of Baroque, a large church in whose shadow you are currently standing, was built in Gothic style in the 15th century. It was also a period of increasing threats and ever-growing raids from the Ottoman invaders. The details on the belfry bear witness to this. Have you noticed them? If you thought you saw small embrasures, then you have a keen eye and are good at making assumptions! Soon after it was built, the decorations on the belfry were replaced by slits for archers, thus giving the building a defensive function. In fact, in 1540 the church was attached to the captaincy of Ivanić and wooden fortifications and a moat filled with water were constructed.
Another point of interest is that the walls of this building contain elements of construction from antiquity. Above the main entrance we can see a stone sculpture of a lion, while in the period after the Ottoman incursions a path was built using Roman brick. In a period when the concept of preserving monumental heritage did not exist and neither could it be afforded at that time, the practice of using existing construction material was widespread. If it had not existed, we may well have been deprived of some buildings from the Middle Ages and the early Modern Era.
bottom of page