Pročelja crkava u Međimurju u razdoblju baroka. Prilog poznavanju tipologije sakralne arhitekture kontinentalne Hrvatske
Authors: Botica Dubravka 
Published: April 2024

An overview of the façades of Međimurje churches built during the Baroque period reveals a typological affinity with comparable regions in continental Croatia – Hrvatsko Zagorje, Varaždin County, and Križevci-Koprivnica County – as well as some characteristic peculiarities. Most have a bell tower in front of the façade, following a traditional form since the Middle Ages, including churches in Sveti Martin na Muri, Selnica, Prelog, Gornji Mihaljevec, Sveti Križ, Cirkovljan, Donji Kraljevec, Dekanovec, Mursko Središće, Podturen, Sveta Marija, Ivanovec, Sveti Juraj u Trnju, Belica, Nedelišće, Kotoriba, and Razkrižje. The oldest among these are the churches of St Martin in Sveti Martin na Muri and St Mark in Selnica, with bell towers in front of the façade supported by buttresses, along with the likewise older parish church in Prelog. The bell tower of the church in Kotoriba stands out with its curved sides as a high-Baroque design. Apart from being positioned in front of the façade, the bell tower is sometimes located next to it, as observed in the parish church in Goričan and the Franciscan church in Čakovec, where the bell tower’s position follows the tradition of spatial organization in Franciscan building complexes. A third variant within this group is the bell tower’s placement next to the sanctuary, as yet another example of continued tradition, seen in churches in Donji Vidovec, Lopatinec (Sveti Juraj na Bregu), and Štrigova. These examples of adding a Baroque bell tower to the Gothic sanctuary emphasizes continuity and long duration, important features of re-Catholicization in regions with widespread Protestantism. Stylistically more pronounced is the type of façade with an integrated bell tower, prevalent in 18th-century architecture across Central Europe and exemplified by churches in Legrad, Novo Selo Rok, and Kapelščak. The most complex in terms of design are church façades with two bell towers, such as St Jerome in Štrigova and St Rochus in Draškovec. The Pauline church in Štrigova shows numerous parallels with the Maria Trost church in Graz, executed by the Stengg construction workshop – including its prominent position in the landscape, the wide façade with bell towers on the sides, the curved contour of the central gable, and the originally rich architectural articulation. The church in Draškovec is an exquisite combination of late Baroque style in its interior design and emphasized Classicism in the design of the façade and the bell tower. In addition to numerous common features, such as the typology and adoption of certain traditional solutions, the peculiarity of this group of churches in relation to other regions of continental Croatia is the appearance of dynamically shaped façades and bell towers. Churches in Lopatinec and, to a lesser extent, in Legrad have façades along the curve of the ground plan, while the bell tower of the church in Kotoriba has an accentuated dynamic plan, with recessed sides and prominent corners with pilasters. These examples demonstrate the adoption of influences from neighbouring Styria, especially the sacral architecture of Graz’s architect Johann Georg Stengg. Another specificity of the corpus of Međimurje churches is the number of churches designed in the Classicist style, with high-quality achievements in a combination with late Baroque, reflecting the proximity and connectedness of Međimurje to the Hungarian artistic circles. The analysis of bell tower and façade designs in this corpus has shown that within the typological groups present across the area, along with the general features of Baroque architecture, one also finds very specific solutions that corresponded to the needs of the environment. In other words, the adoption of models and their adaptation to the local context is an example of cultural transfer expressing the local character, in which the commissioning environment has left its visible mark.