Dominating the main square is St Stephen's Cathedral, its distinctive, deliciously cake-like trefoil facade looking rather like one of the fancy creations of the local patisseries. Taking shape over several centuries, today's church consists of a 15th-century shell added to and embellished during the course of 16th- and 17th-century rebuilds. The haughty belfry with three tiers of open windows dates from the last of these makeovers. Sitting in the lunette above the main entrance, is a statuette of St Stephen, crown on head and bible in hand. The interior is a treasure-trove of religious art, with extravagant altar pieces lining both of the outer aisles. The main altar, dedicated to St Stephen and dating from 1632, is thought to be the oldest Baroque altar in Croatia. Few of the other altarpieces can quite compete with the sheer charm of that dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel, in which a 13th-century icon of the Virgin and Child is framed by a playful crowd of winged cherubs, gilded sculptures added by Michelangelo Albarini in 1674. Rather more dramatic is the southern chapel, to the right of the main altar, which contains a harrowing medieval crucifix which, according to popular legend, shed real blood on the eve of the Ivanić Uprising of 1510.
Comments