The Stone Gate
On your way to the Upper town, chances are, you’ll be getting there by walking through the Stone Gate, a chapel that also serves as a passage.
They were one of the gates surrounding the old town of Gradec and today is one of the best-preserved monuments in Zagreb. When a great fire of Zagreb occurred in 1731. all the objects around burned down except a portrait of the Virgin Mary from a room that was above the Gate, and that was truly a miracle.
The same year the picture was placed on the baroque altar inside the gates, and iron fences were added afterward.
Since that time, the Stone Gate holds great symbolic value. They have been entirely turned into a chapel of St. Virgin Mary who also became the official guardian of Zagreb and that’s why the official day of Zagreb, celebrated on May 31st, is also the day of St. Virgin Mary.
In front of the Gates, on the downward side, stands a sculpture of a popular fictional character from a famous historical novel by August Šenoa, one of most honored Croatian writers.
In this novel, Dora lived with her father in Kamenita Street, the street in which the Stone Gate is located.
To this day, the Stone Gate is a protected culture well of the Republic of Croatia.
The gates are, of course, only one of many attractions of that kind you can see in Zagreb.
Check out below what else can you explore in Croatia’s capital and seize the opportunity to travel more with some exciting tours from Zagreb!
