Kaptol (Zagreb)

Kaptol is the historical center of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. In Kaptol is also the Zagreb Cathedral, the main church of the Archdiocese of Zagreb.

History

The name Kaptol, which comes from the Latin word for chapter capitulum derives, was used for the first time in 1094, when King Ladislaus I founded the Bishopric of Zagreb. The residence of the bishop and the cathedral were in the southeastern part of Kaptol. Vlaška Ves (now the Vlaška Street), a village suburb, which belonged to the bishop of the diocese of Zagreb, lay south-east of the cathedral. He was first mentioned in 1198. The Kaptol road still exists today and is the main street of Kaptol. It runs from north to south, up to the present Bakačeva Street and the Ban Jelacic Square. Earlier were the houses of the canons on this street.

The cathedral was built in 1217 but badly damaged in 1242 by the Tatars. It was restored and rebuilt in 1263. Kaptol was rectangular, with the southern gateway to the Bakačeva Street and the northern gate of the sword - road, where today the Miroslav Krleža Elementary School ( named after the writer Miroslav Krleža; colloquially Kaptol school) is.

In the Middle Ages Kaptol had no defense, only picket fences made ​​of wood, which were subsequently destroyed and rebuilt. The first true walls and towers were built to Kaptol 1469-1473. The Prislin tower near the Kaptol School is one of the well-preserved towers of this period. 1493 invaded the Ottomans up to Sisak. That is why the Bishop of Zagreb built 1512-1520 a defense system around the Cathedral and its residence. All the walls except the wall in front of the cathedral still stand today. The latter was destroyed in a reconstruction of Kaptol in 1907.

In the 13th century two Gothic churches were built in Kaptol: St. Frank Church ( Franciscans) and St. Mary 's Church. The St. Mary 's Church was rebuilt several times in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the Opatovina street you can still see now the little old houses of the canons, but at the Dolac were 1926 several alleys and small streets destroyed in order to build a market. In 1334 the canons of Kaptol founded a colony north of serfs Kaptol. This colony was the Nova Ves Street.

Kaptol is now part of the Municipality of Gornji Grad - Medveščak. It lies on the Kaptol Street and Ribnjak Park lies to the east of it. The Kaptol Centar ( shopping center ) is located in Kaptol at Nova Ves and the Tkalčićeva Street.