Page 29 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

A POR TR AIT OF CRO A TIA  27

Renaissance
The Renaissance style was only able to The second storey,
develop in those parts of the country with windows and
which did not fall under Turkish rule. a statue of the city’s
patron saint, St Blaise,
The most important architects and artists in the centre, was a
of the time were Juraj Dalmatinac (see later addition.
p24), Nikola Firentinac and Andrija Aleši,
who worked mainly along the Adriatic The windows in
coast. They were all involved in the Venetian Gothic
construction of churches and public symbolize the ties
buildings. The cathedral of St James in between Dubrovnik
Šibenik (see pp110–11) became a model and Venice.
for the churches of St Stephen in Hvar,
St Mary in Zadar and St Saviour in Sponza Palace in Dubrovnik (see p150) has both Gothic
Dubrovnik. Renaissance buildings also and Renaissance elements, a reflection of the time it
appeared in the north of Croatia, both took to build. It was begun in 1312 (the beautiful Gothic
in the form of private residences windows on the first floor date from this period) and
(Varaždin and Čakovec) and castles remodelled in 1516–22, when the Renaissance arcaded
(Trakošćan and Veliki Tabor). loggia on the ground floor was added.
Baroque
This was the style that characterized the legitimization of Christian
worship in Croatia after the expulsion of the Turks at the end of the
17th century. The signs of Ottoman rule were eradicated and architects,
mainly of German extraction, constructed public and private buildings,
enriching them with ornate decorations equal to those of the churches,
castles and sanctuaries. The most notable examples of the Baroque style
can be found in Varaždin, Požega, Osijek, Križevci, Ludbreg and Krapina.

Vojković-Oršić-Kulmer-Rauch Palace, now home of the Croatian
Historical Museum (see p164), is one of many fine Baroque buildings in
Zagreb. The façade and interior have the sumptuous decorations of the
time with elegant columns, scalloped windows and a decorated tympanum.
Modernism
By the 19th century Zagreb had become the
centre of political and cultural life in Croatia,
which gave it a prominent role as leader in
the architectural field. Much experimentation
took place in the following century in the
capital, inspired first by the Viennese Secession
style and later by Modernism. The church of
St Blaise and Villa Krauss are interesting
examples of the latter style.
The Neo-Renaissance Mimara Museum in Zagreb
The typically elegant
building is functional The decorations in Secession style
and symmetrical are stylized and not figurative.

On the façade
are sculptures and
bas-reliefs by the
Croatian artists
Robert Frangeš-
Mihanović and
The former National and University Library in the centre of Marulić Square in Rudolf Valdec.
Zagreb was designed by a local architect, Rudolf Lubinsky. It is regarded as the
most significant work in the Secession style in Croatia.

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