Church of St. Catherine

The Church of St. Catherine stands on Katarinin trg, a small square in the Upper Town of Zagreb, just beside the Museum of Broken Relationships and close to the Lotrščak Tower and the Stone Gate. It is the first major Baroque church in the Croatian capital, and its quiet, white façade and richly decorated interior make it one of the most rewarding stops in the old part of the city.

The church was built in the early seventeenth century, between about 1620 and 1632, by the Jesuits, the religious order that played a crucial part in the education and culture of Central Europe in the Counter-Reformation period. The Jesuits arrived in Zagreb in the early 1600s, and they set up a school, which later became the basis of the city’s first institutions of higher education, as well as the church, which was dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It was built in the style they favoured, the Baroque, which was intended to move the senses and glorify the faith with dramatic light, colour and ornament, and it became a model for later churches in northern Croatia. The idea that the church was the work of the Poor Clares, which appears in some descriptions, is mistaken: the nearby convent of that order belonged to a different building.

The outside is plain and restrained. A simple whitewashed façade with a modest portal and a tower rises over the square, and the church sits slightly above street level, reached by a short flight of steps. The interior is a surprise. A single, wide nave is covered by a barrel vault decorated with stucco work and with painted scenes, and the walls carry altars with gilt frames, sculptures and paintings. The most remarkable decoration is the painted architecture, trompe-l’œil effects that make the walls seem to extend into space, which is typical of Baroque illusion and was executed in the following century. The effect, especially when light enters through the high windows, is of warmth and richness.

For visitors, the church is a pleasant and uncrowded place to pause. It is usually open during the day, from morning until evening, and entry is free, though visitors should dress modestly and keep quiet during services and for those who are praying. Details of tours or enquiries can be arranged through the parish administration. The square in front is a quiet corner with benches and a view over the lower town, and in summer the nearby terraces are pleasant.

The church is close to the other sights of the Upper Town. The Museum of Broken Relationships, the Lotrščak Tower with its noon cannon, the Stone Gate and the Grič Tunnel are all within a few minutes’ walk, and Ban Jelačić Square lies down the hill. It suits lovers of architecture and art and anyone who wants a calm pause. Weekday mornings are quietest.