Marija Bistrica
Encyclopedia
Marija Bistrica is municipality
in Krapina-Zagorje County
in central Croatia
, located on the slopes of the Medvednica
mountain in Hrvatsko Zagorje
, not far away from Zagreb
. The municipality has 6,612 inhabitants, with 1,107 residents in the settlement itself (2001 census).
Marija Bistrica has an old Marian shrine of the Black Madonna
which is a famous place of pilgrimage
. It is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year.
On October 3, 1998, Pope John Paul II
visited Marija Bistrica and beatified the Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac before 500,000 Croatians.
Andrew II
. Documents from 1334 first mention the church of Sts. Peter and Paul.
In 1710 the Croatian parliament vowed to fund a new altar in the church, which was done in 1715. In 1731 the church was expanded and reconsecrated to Our Lady of the Snows
. In 1750 Pope Benedict XIV granted plenary indulgence to pilgrims who confess and accept the Eucharist in Bistrica.
In 1879 to 1882 a new church was built in its place, designed in the style of Neo-Renaissance
by Hermann Bollé
. Arcades were constructed around the church decorated with 22 paintings of the miracles granted by the Blessed Virgin. During the construction a fire destroyed all of the church except the statue and the main altar.
In 1923 Pope Pius XI granted the church the status of a minor basilica
and in 1935 the archbishop of Zagreb Ante Bauer crowned the statue as Our Lady Queen of Croatia. As archbishop, Aloysius Stepinac
paid special attention to the site and made annual pilgrimages. On July 8, 1945 he led his last pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica which drew 40,000-50,000 people.
Municipalities of Croatia
A Municipality in Croatia is known as an općina . Though equal to Croatian Grads in administrative powers, they are usually more likely to consists of a collection of villages in more rural or suburban area, whereas Grads are more likely to cover urban area...
in Krapina-Zagorje County
Krapina-Zagorje County
Krapina-Zagorje county is a county in northern Croatia. It encompasses most of the historic region called Hrvatsko Zagorje.The Krapina-Zagorje county is a candidate for being the most idyllic county in Croatia: the many villages and small towns spread out across the hillsides are perfect for...
in central Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, located on the slopes of the Medvednica
Medvednica
Medvednica is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at 1,035 m, is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park , a type of preservation lesser than a national park...
mountain in Hrvatsko Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje is a region north of Zagreb, Croatia. It comprises the whole area north of Medvednica mountain up to Slovenia in the north and west, and up to the regions of Međimurje and Podravina in the north and east...
, not far away from Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. The municipality has 6,612 inhabitants, with 1,107 residents in the settlement itself (2001 census).
Marija Bistrica has an old Marian shrine of the Black Madonna
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
which is a famous place of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. It is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year.
On October 3, 1998, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
visited Marija Bistrica and beatified the Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac before 500,000 Croatians.
History
The first written mention of the settlement Bistrica was in AD 1209 as the possession of Croatian-Hungarian kingCroatia in personal union with Hungary
Kingdom of Croatia after the succession crisis become a part of Kingdom of Hungary and — depending on sources — either was incorporated into Hungary or Croatia existed in a personal union with Hungary....
Andrew II
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
. Documents from 1334 first mention the church of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Shrine
In 1545 a local priest hid the wonder working statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus, which previously stood in a wooden chapel on the Vinski Vrh (Hill) nearby, within the church to save it from the Turks and took the secret of its hiding place to his grave. The statue was discovered in 1588, when according to the records bright light shone from the place where it was buried. In 1650 the statue had to be once again hidden to be rediscovered in 1684.In 1710 the Croatian parliament vowed to fund a new altar in the church, which was done in 1715. In 1731 the church was expanded and reconsecrated to Our Lady of the Snows
Our Lady of the Snows
Our Lady of the Snows may refer to:* Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, in Rome* Dedication of Saint Mary Major, the feast celebrating the dedication of this church, renamed from the Dedication of Our Lady of the Snows in 1969...
. In 1750 Pope Benedict XIV granted plenary indulgence to pilgrims who confess and accept the Eucharist in Bistrica.
In 1879 to 1882 a new church was built in its place, designed in the style of Neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
by Hermann Bollé
Hermann Bollé
Hermann Bollé was an Austrian architect specialized in Church architecture who worked in Croatia.Bollé was born in Köln. He worked on the Cathedral in Đakovo, restored the Zagreb cathedral after the 1880 earthquake, restored Križevci cathedral from 1895-1897, designed the main building of the...
. Arcades were constructed around the church decorated with 22 paintings of the miracles granted by the Blessed Virgin. During the construction a fire destroyed all of the church except the statue and the main altar.
In 1923 Pope Pius XI granted the church the status of a minor basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and in 1935 the archbishop of Zagreb Ante Bauer crowned the statue as Our Lady Queen of Croatia. As archbishop, Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Viktor Stepinac , also known as Blessed Aloysius Stepinac, was a Croatian Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to 1960. In 1998 he was declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II....
paid special attention to the site and made annual pilgrimages. On July 8, 1945 he led his last pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica which drew 40,000-50,000 people.
Municipality
The municipality consists of the following settlements:- Globočec, population 619
- Hum Bistrički, pop. 520
- Laz BistričkiLaz BistričkiLaz Bistrički is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D29 highway....
, pop. 854 - Laz StubičkiLaz StubičkiLaz Stubički is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D29 highway....
, pop. 292 - Marija Bistrica, pop. 1.107
- Podgorje BistričkoPodgorje BistričkoPodgorje Bistričko is a village in Croatia....
, pop. 941 - Podgrađe, pop. 343
- Poljanica BistričkaPoljanica BistričkaPoljanica Bistrička is a village in Croatia....
, pop. 431 - Selnica, pop. 752
- Sušobreg Bistrički, pop. 92
- TugonicaTugonicaTugonica is a village in Zagorje, Croatia. It is connected by the D29 highway....
, pop. 661