Marija Bistrica () is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

Krapina-Zagorje County Krapina-Zagorje County (, hr, Krapinsko-zagorska županija) is a county in northern Croatia, bordering Slovenia. It encompasses most of the historic region called Hrvatsko Zagorje. The area contains the excavation site of a 100,000-year-old ...

in central

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, located on the slopes of the Medvednica mountain in the

Hrvatsko Zagorje Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian language, Croatian for "backland" or "behind the hills") is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica Moun ...

region north of the capital

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

. The municipality has 5,976 inhabitants, with 1,071 residents in the settlement itself ( 2011 census). Marija Bistrica has an old

Marian shrine A shrine to the Virgin Mary (or Marian shrine) is a shrine marking an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Marian devotion. Such locales are often the destinatio ...

of the Black Madonna which is a place of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

and visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. On 3 October 1998,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visited Marija Bistrica and beatified Croatian Cardinal

Aloysius Stepinac Aloysius Viktor Cardinal Stepinac ( hr, Alojzije Viktor Stepinac, 8 May 1898 – 10 February 1960) was a senior-ranking Yugoslav Croat prelate of the Catholic Church. A cardinal, Stepinac served as Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 until his dea ...

in front of a crowd of 500,000 Croatians.

History

The first written mention of the settlement Bistrica dates back to 1209 AD, as the possession of Croatian-Hungarian king Andrew II. Documents from 1334 first mention the church of Saints Peter and Paul.

Shrine

In 1545 a local priest hid the wonder working statue of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother ...

with the Infant Jesus, which previously stood in a wooden chapel on the Vinski Vrh (Hill) nearby, within the church to save it from the Turks and took the secret of its hiding place to his grave. The statue was discovered in 1588, when according to the records bright light shone from the place where it was buried. In 1650 the statue had to be once again hidden to be rediscovered in 1684. In 1710 the

Croatian parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sa ...

vowed to fund a new altar in the church, which was done in 1715. In 1731 the church was expanded and reconsecrated to Our Lady of the Snows. In 1750 Pope Benedict XIV granted plenary indulgence to pilgrims who confess and accept the Eucharist in Bistrica. From 1879 to 1882 a new church was built in its place, designed in the style of

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

by Hermann Bollé. Arcades were constructed around the church decorated with 22 paintings of the miracles granted by the Blessed Virgin. During the construction a fire destroyed all of the church except the statue and the main altar. In 1923 Pope

Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

granted the church the status of a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

and in 1935 the archbishop of Zagreb

Ante Bauer Ante or Antes may refer to: * Ante (cards), an initial stake paid in a card game * Ante (poker), a forced bet in the game of poker * Ante (name), Croatian form of the given name Anthony * The Latin word ''ante'', meaning "before", which is used as ...

crowned the statue as ''Our Lady Queen of Croatia''. As archbishop,

paid special attention to the site and made annual pilgrimages. On 8 July 1945 he led his last pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica which drew 40,000-50,000 people.Akmadža, Miroslav
Causes of breaking of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Yugoslavia in 1952
/ref>

Municipality

The municipality consists of the following settlements: * Globočec, population 525 *

Hum Bistrički Hum may refer to: Science * Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion * Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon * The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon * Venous hum, a physiological sensation ...

, pop. 441 *

Laz Bistrički Laz Bistrički ("Laz of Bistrica") is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D29 highway. South down the highway lies its sister village of Laz Stubički Laz Stubički is a village in northern Croatia. It is connected by the D29 high ...

, pop. 788 *

Laz Stubički Laz Stubički is a village in northern Croatia. It is connected by the D29 highway. It is close to Laz Bistrički, its sister village further north on the D29, and Zagreb- which is the northwestern capital of Croatia, south down the D29. ...

, pop. 267 * Marija Bistrica, pop. 1,071 * Podgorje Bistričko, pop. 904 * Podgrađe, pop. 321 * Poljanica Bistrička, pop. 347 * Selnica, pop. 653 * Sušobreg Bistrički, pop. 81 * Tugonica, pop. 578

Gallery

Image:Main square in Marija Bistrica.jpg, Main square in Marija Bistrica Image:Marija Bistrica5.JPG, The basilica Image:Marija Bistrica7.JPG, Interior of the basilica Image:Marija Bistrica8.JPG, Arcades surround the basilica Image:Marija Bistrica4.JPG, Arcades surround the basilica Image:Marija Bistrica bazilika.jpg, Outside view of the basilica Image:Marija Bistrica Crkva na otvorenom 2011-09-11.jpg, Open air church near the basilica Image:Marija Bistrica - Križni put 12.JPG, 12th Station of The Way of the Cross at Marija Bistrica open air church Image:Marija Bistrica 12.jpg, Altar of the Marija Bistrica basilica

References

External links

*
Website of the Shrine

{{Authority control Shrines to the Virgin Mary Religious buildings and structures in Croatia Catholic Church in Croatia Municipalities of Croatia Populated places in Krapina-Zagorje County Roman Catholic shrines in Croatia