The text is || The old way to do it
Some people refer to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, as the "City of Museums", to which I would say "yes".
Built in ancient Roman times and currently with a population of over a million, this ancient city is located in northwestern Croatia, on the west bank of the Sava River, at the foot of the Medvednica Mountains, and its city not only has many unique museums, including the Museum of Broken Love---- its average area is more than any city in the world, and the old city composed of ancient buildings such as churches and town halls, also known as the Upper Town, is itself a huge and "living" open-air museum. Every street, every building, every wall, every stone, there is a piece of history, and there is a vivid story hidden.
Zagreb is a historical and cultural city in Central Europe. At present, the whole city consists of three parts: the old town that continues from the ancient Roman period to the present day, the new town composed of the town hall, the commercial district, and the opera house, also known as the lower town, and the modern metropolitan area developed after the war. The focus of our tour is naturally the old town, which is full of historical sites.
Walking into the old town of Zagreb is like walking into the European Middle Ages: the ancient city gates, the vicissitudes of the city walls, the towering churches, the mottled streets, all give people the feeling of traveling through time and space, and at the same time make people's hearts calm down a lot.
From the perspective of time, the youngest generation of any building in front of us is our grandfather's grandfather. Looking at these bearers of long history, while we are full of curiosity about their origins, we are more admiring of them and the local citizens who live with them day and night: from the Middle Ages all the way to the present, the vicissitudes of the past thousand years are still glorious and shining, which is a miracle!
They are blessed, blessed, and thankful to Almighty God for once again connecting the present with the ancients, modernity and history.
Like many other old European cities, Zagreb has its own landmark, St. Stephen's Cathedral in the Old Town, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is said to have been originally Romanesque and later rebuilt into the current Neo-Gothic architectural style, similar to many churches in other places.
At present, it is the tallest classical building in Croatia, and its minaret can be seen from many places in the city, and its majesty and grandeur make people marvel at the superb technical level of medieval Croatian architecture.
St. Stephen's Cathedral was built in 1093 and was destroyed by the Tatars in 1242. And the curse is not alone. In 1880, it was severely damaged by an earthquake: the nave of the church collapsed, and the tower was basically destroyed. The current cathedral is rebuilt in 1889, especially the two newly added 108-meter-high minarets, making it even more dazzling and magnificent.
The church is stunning with 13th-century frescoes and several statues hanging in the air that are larger than real people.
When we entered, we happened to meet the pastor doing a dispersion, and many believers sat there prayerfully, very quiet and solemn.
In my senses, although St. Mark's Church is not as grand as St. Stephen's Church, it seems to weigh heavier and more sacred in the hearts of Croats.
Built in the middle of the 13th century AD, this church is the resting place of The Patron Saint Marco of Venice, it was once the largest church in medieval Europe, a classic of Venetian architecture, and its location is the political center of Croatia, because the Presidential Palace is just on the west side of the church.
Over the centuries, the church has been continuously expanded and expanded, so that it is now a comprehensive artistic masterpiece that integrates Various Schools of Byzantium, Gothic, Islamic, Renaissance and so on. Among them, the most famous is the two patterns of the roof made of mosaic tiles, which are colorful and give a fairytale feeling. The coat of arms on the left is the emblem of the Old Kingdom of Croatia, while on the right is the coat of arms of Zagreb. This pattern, which has a strong Slavic style, is both the pattern of the Croatian flag and the uniform of the national football team.
St. Mark's Church is so dazzling inside and out that it is also known as the "Golden Cathedral". It is said that the church displays the works of the famous Croatian sculptor Meštrović. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go in and enjoy it.
For me, the biggest highlight of Zagreb's old town, and the most attractive place for me, is the ancient city gate, also called the Stone Gate, not far from St. Mark's Church. This is the only remaining gate in the Old Town built in the Roman period and is still well preserved. It is the oldest historical relic of Zagreb, the "soul" of the city--- and although it is "unassuming", it has magical features.
Stone Gate was destroyed by a fire in 1731, destroying all wooden buildings, but one painting of the Virgin Mary and the Child was miraculously unscathed, which is attributed to the "Apparition of the Virgin".
In 1931, a golden crown was sealed on the stone door painting, and the most unique metal craft door in the region was created to carefully protect it and enshrine it, and now many devotees come here every day to pray for protection and well-being. The front of the portrait of the Virgin Mary is filled with flowers and is cared for by nuns.
Another landmark in Zagreb is the Rottszczak Tower, which is part of the old city wall, and on its second and third floors is a small museum with a viewing platform at the top of the tower overlooking the entire old city. It is very interesting that there is still a cannon on the top of the tower, but it has long lost its defensive function and is only a tool for telling the time. Every 12 noon, cannons go off, a city tradition for many years.
Using the sound of cannons to chime a city is probably unique in other cities in the world. There is no doubt that this is a martial city, but also a city that produces heroes. Take a look at the statue of Governor Yellačić raising his sword in the downtown square and you'll believe it.
There is also evidence that the hometown of Tito, the founder of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with a steely character, is in the village of Kumrove, 66 kilometers northwest of the city of Zagreb, and that Tito's early revolutionary activities were mainly in this city. Tito is a world-recognized national hero, born before the sixties Chinese knows this very well.
Located at the intersection of the Upper And Lower Town is the famous Governor's Square of Yellačić, the heart of the city, where many government offices are located. The square is surrounded by buildings of different periods and styles. There are traces of history everywhere, telling the legends of the past. At the same time, there are many shops and large supermarkets, and it is the main commercial street in Zagreb, which is bustling all day long.
Governor Jelačić Square was built in the 17th century and was called its current name in 1850, and in 1866 a horse statue of Governor Jelačić was erected in the center of the square to commemorate the national hero who led the Croatian people against the Austro-Hungarian Empire and fought for national independence.
After World War II, the square was renamed Republic Square, and the statue of Governor Yellačić was replaced by a statue of a guerrilla. After Croatia seceded from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, the square was restored to its old form, and the statue of Governor Jelačić returned to his place.
It can be seen from this that the people will never forget a person who has made sacrifices and contributions to the country and the nation in the annals of history, no matter how long he has been and how history has developed.
Can't always walk around in the church, city gate, square and other historical monuments, so it seems too heavy, shouldn't it also be interspersed with some light topics? After all, this is a travelogue, not a history textbook, right?
It is said that Croats are more lazy, especially men, and I don't think so. Looking at the dedication and effort of a few sellers who make barbecues, it is enough to show that the people here are still very industrious. The food here is also quite tempting.
The open-air coffee shops around the square are everywhere, and they are also full of guests, making people feel the leisure and romance of this metropolis. It seems that people here not only "love labor", but also enjoy life.
Life is what it is!
I wondered, should the City of Museums also have a museum of romantic life?
(Finished June 2017, revised July 2022)