Medvedgrad has never been attacked, and it hides the treasure of the infamous Black Queen

It was built 1254. The, after the catastrophic burglary of the Tatars who ravaged these areas in a devastating raid and completely destroyed and burned the then Zagreb, which consisted of the civil Gradec and the Episcopal Chapter. Although built primarily to protect citizens, bishops and church treasures, Medvedgrad Due to its perfect strategic position, it was constantly at the center of property and political turmoil.

Throughout its history, it has changed many masters who have won or lost it in various marriage combinations, sales, intrigues, or even conspiracies. Although fantastically fortified and always ready to fight, Medvedgrad he was never attacked. On the contrary, the masters of Medvedgrad often filled their treasury and warehouses by plundering the surrounding villages, and they knew, either by political or armed force, to attack Zagreb itself. The most notorious among them were Counts of Celje, who in the middle of the 15th century carried out such terror over the city that many residents of Gradec fled their homes. Even today, scary villages are circulating terrifyingly stories about Countess Barbara Celjska - to the infamous Black Queen.

It's Medvedgrad abandoned in 1590, after the fort was destroyed by a terrible earthquake, so were its last rulers Gregorians moved to a much more modern and comfortable castle in Šestine. Since then, the fortified town on the hill has been crumbling for centuries. For a long time it was visited only by adventurers and treasure hunters which is reportedly somewhere under the city hid the glorious Black Queen.

It's just 1979 began systematic archaeological research, wall conservation and reconstruction certain parts of that Croatian medieval burg. Thus, the octagonal chapel of St. emerged from the ruins. Philip and James, the southern defensive tower, the palace - a residential palace and some other parts of the ancient fortress.

Years 1994 under the south tower it was erected "Altar of the Motherland", the work of sculptor Kuzma Kovačić, in which an eternal flame burns in honor of all Croatian heroes.

Did you know?

  • The rulers of Medvednica sometimes hid very important guests, even of royal rank, in their mountain fortress. That's how he stayed there Jannus Pannonius, also known as Ivan Česmički, a versatile thinker of his time, a humanist, a poet and diplomat, a bishop and briefly even ban of Slavonia who towards the end of his life joined the conspiracy movement against King Matthias Corvinus. The conspiracy failed, and Jannus Pannonius took refuge with the Bishop of Zagreb Osvald Thuz in Medvedgrad, where he died in 1472. The versatile poet and scientist also practiced astronomy and in his works long before Nicolaus Copernicus recorded the idea of ​​the Sun, the lord of the stars.
  • The conflict of the last lord of Medvedgrad Stjepko Gregorijanca i Zagreb he described August Chenoa in the novel Goldsmith's gold which generations of Croatian schoolchildren remember for the love story between Stjepko's son Pavle and Dora Krupić, daughter of a Greek goldsmith. In the vicious circle of political intrigue, hatred and revenge, forbidden love ended tragically, and Romeo from Medvedgrad was left without its Zagreb Julia.
  • In the Mesozoic seas (245 to 66 million years ago), limestones often composed exclusively of skeletal remains of various marine organisms (shellfish, snails, thorns, microscopic chalks, etc.) were deposited. Just tiny chalks we can consider builders of Medvedgrad for most of the city is built of plate limestone composed almost exclusively of their microscopic calcite shells. The quarry in which the stone was mined was located a few hundred meters from Medvedgrad, and in the same place it was reopened to obtain materials for its reconstruction.

Source and photo: Medvednica Nature Park

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