Krizevci
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Križevci is a town in central Croatia with a population of 22,324 (2001), the oldest town in its county, the Koprivnica-Križevci county.
The first mention of the so-called Upper Križevac was from 1193 by Bela III, obtaining the status of Royal Borough in 1252 by the ban Stephan which was confirmed by King Bela IV a year later. The so-called Lower Križevac developed somewhat slower than its twin town: it became a free royal town in 1405, thanks to king Sigismund.
Križevac was the birthplace of a Catholic priest Marko who died at the hand of Calvinists in Košice in 1619, and was subsequently canonized because of his martyrdom. This event is commemorated every September 7th in Križevci.
After centuries of division, empress Maria Theresa united the Lower and Upper Križevac into Križevci in 1752 (the word Križevci is plural of Križevac). The town was also hit by the wars with the Turks, but it regained importance in 1871 when the railway was built through it on the way from Budapest to Rijeka.
These days the town is pretty much oriented towards mass entrepreneurship, but it still enjoys the greatest number of valuable and oldest monuments in the county (both in the town and its surroundings).
Križevci has eight beautiful cathedrals, built mostly in the Middle Ages. In the oldest Gothic church of St. Cross, there are important Baroque pictures and a marble altar dating from 18th century (by Francesco Robba). Also interesting is the parish church of St. Anne from 17th century.
Of particular note is the Greek Catholic cathedral, the seat of the Eparchy of Križevci since 1789. The cathedral building was worked on by some of Zagreb's finest architects: its facade was rebuilt by Bartol Felbinger in 1817 while an internal reconstruction was performed in the Gothic revival style by Hermann Bolle in 1892-97. The iconostasis and the pictures on the walls are works of famous Croatian painters including Ivan Tišov, Celestin Medović and Bela Čikoš-Sesija.
The city museum exhibits a rich archeological, ethnographic and cultural-historical collection.
The main town manifestation is called "Križevačko veliko spravišće", commemorated yearly, when the local cultural traditions are displayed during a fiesta that lasts throughout the first full weekend of July. According to legend, this feast originates from a 14th century feast of reconcilliation between the previously hostile communities of merchants from the towns of Križevac and the nobility from the nearby Kalnik hillside.
External link
- Križevci (http://www.krizevci.hr/)
- Križevci City Forum (http://www.krizevci.info/)hr:Križevci