Original scientific paper
HERMAN BOLLÉ AND RESTARUATION OF THE PARISH (PREVIOUSLY PAULINE) CHURCH IN REMETE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE OF 1880
Dragan DAMJANOVIĆ
Abstract
The parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Remete is one of the most important architectural monuments in the surroundings of Zagreb. The church was built as Pauline monastery church in the fourteenth century, and it was decorated in Gothic style. During seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the church was significantly renovated in Baroque style, and from the beginning of the nineteenth century it became a parish church. Earthquake that struck Zagreb on 9th November 1880 heavily damaged this object: falling of the celling in the central nave ruined altar, pews, pulpit and organs in the church choir. At the southern side of the nave there was chapel of St. Maximilian, whose side walls cracked but the vault remained almost intact. Church front was also quite damaged: gable collapsed and the walls of the bell-tower, which was placed between the church and rectory, ruptured on all four sides. Parish house, previously monastery, was in such poor condition that parish priest could not live in it any more. Because of these huge damages reconstruction of Remete church became one of the most complicated restorations after the big earthquake, not only regarding the work of Herman Bollé but in general. Expenditures of renovation were 28.000 forints, and contemporary bishop of Zagreb Josip Mihalović donated 17.000 forints. However, according to the contemporary laws bishop – as a patron of the church – had to cover most of the costs of the renovation. Since another earthquake (in February 1881) further damaged the church and the rectory, as well because of the shortage of the necessary funds, the renovation begun only in summer of 1882, and this provoked discontent of local parishioners. Namely, the parishioners were afraid that the parish would be dissolved and the church demolished. On the other hand, the Archbishopric of Zagreb had serious expenditures after the earthquake because expenses of renovation of all the damaged ecclesiastical objects in the diocese raised up to 150.000 forints. Restoration was carried out according the plans of architect Herman Bollé, who was leading architect of the Archbishopric of Zagreb and Chapter table. Although Bollé’s style was to renovate churches in radical Gothic style the Remete church was not reconstructed in this manner because of the lack of renovation funds. Its baroque front was just repaired, and baroque choir with the fresco paintings of Ivan Ragner was restored to its previous condition together with the altar. However, baroque chapel of St. Maximilian was demolished and on the side walls Bollé had restored old Gothic windows. Moreover, in the sanctuary Bollé erected new cross vault, and the central nave got new wooden celling which was now partly painted. Restorations of the church in the twentieth century removed a part of the Bollé’s additions. Moreover, some of the Ranger’s fresco paintings, which had been covered by Bolle’s work, now were restored – mainly in the sanctuary and the central nave.
Keywords
Herman Bollé; Remete; parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; historicism; restoration of monuments; neo-gothic; neo-renaissance
Hrčak ID:
81352
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2011.
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