Museums in Croatia
Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters
The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters opened in November 1884, named after its founder, Josip Juraj Strossmayer, the bishop of Đakovo. The Strossmayer Gallery exhibits the works of European painters from 14th-19th century. The holdings have been classified into three major groups: Italian, French and Northern European (German, Flemish and Dutch) works, and also some works by Croatian artists. They were given the collect ...
Founded: 1884 |
Location:
Zagreb, Croatia
Mimara Museum
The Mimara Museum is an art museum in the city of Zagreb. Of the total of 3,700 varied works of art, more than 1,500 exhibits constitute permanent holdings, dating from the prehistoric period up to the 20th century. Some of the most famous exhibits include works by Lorenzetti, Giorgione, Veronese, Canaletto, 60 paintings by the Dutch masters Van Goyen, Ruisdael, 50 works by the Flemish masters Van der Weyden, Bosch, Rube ...
Founded: 1987 |
Location:
Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum in Zagreb has over 450,000 varied artifacts and monuments, gathered from various sources but mostly from Croatia and in particular from the surroundings of Zagreb. The archaeological collection of the State Institute had been kept in the Academy mansion at Zrinski Square from the 1880s and remained there until 1945, when the museum moved to its current location at the 19th-century Vranyczany-Haf ...
Founded: 1846 |
Location:
Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb Modern Gallery
Modern Gallery holds the most important and comprehensive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by 19th and 20th century Croatian artists. The collection numbers around 10,000 works of art, housed since 1934 in the historic Vranyczany Palace in the centre of Zagreb, overlooking the Zrinjevac Park. The Palace underwent a complete renovation between 1993 and 2005, when the current exhibition was opened to the pu ...
Founded: 1905 |
Location:
Zagreb, Croatia
Split Archaeological Museum
As the oldest museum institution in Croatia, the Split Archaeological Museum was founded in 1820. The incentive for the establishment of the Museum was provided by the visit of Emperor Francis I to Dalmatia in 1818, which also included visits to Split and Solin. The original museum building was erected in 1821 next to the eastern walls of Diocletian"s Palace, but soon became too small to house the growing number of m ...
Founded: 1820 |
Location:
Split, Croatia
Maritime and History Museum
One of Rijeka’s important landmarks is the Maritime and Historical Museum which is located in one of the most beautiful buildings from 19th century Rijeka. A former palace, it was originally designed and built as the residence for king’s emissaries and governors. Today it is a Museum which collects, keeps, handles and presents artefacts connected to the history and culture of the Primorsko-goranska County and the city ...
Founded: 1896 |
Location:
Rijeka, Croatia
Ivan Mestrovic Gallery
Ivan Meštrović Gallery is dedicated to the work of the 20th-century sculptor, Ivan Meštrović (1883-1962). The gallery preserves and presents to the public the most significant works of Meštrović, and is in itself an art monument. The permanent collection includes works of sculpture, drawings, design, furniture and architecture. Holdings include original plaster models by the artist, as well as finished works in bron ...
Founded: 1952 |
Location:
Split, Croatia
Museum of Slavonia
Museum of Slavonia is the largest general-type museum in Croatia. It was established in 1877 in Osijek. Since 1946, it is located in the City Magistracy building, constructed in 1702 for the purposes of the Vienna Chamber, town government and police. Today, among the museums numerous collections, the most prized are the Roman Mursa and numismatic collections. The Museum"s library contains more than 70,000 books.
Founded: 1877 |
Location:
Osijek, Croatia
Marton Museum
The Marton Museum is Croatia"s first private museum (established in 2003) and specializes in 18th and 19th century European applied art. The Marton Museum derives its name from its original founder, Mr Veljko Marton, whose collection is featured within its walls. The museum"s collection counts a number of silver and glass pieces, along with various paintings and furniture pieces, yet it perhaps bears mention th ...
Founded: 2003 |
Location:
Samobor, Croatia
Karlovac City Museum
The first initiatives for the establishment of a museum in Karlovac emerged in the late 19th century, but it was not until December 18, 1904 that the Town Council rendered its opinion on the need to establish a museum and provided the initial funds of 500 crowns. Due to insufficient funds no activities were initiated, and only in 1911 was a Museum Committee founded with the task of collecting material, which was supposed ...
Founded: 1904 |
Location:
Karlovac, Croatia
Vučedol Culture Museum
The Vučedol archaeological site is located on the right bank of the Danube River. Both sides along the pass towards the Danube make up the archaeological site, on the left is the Karasović Vineyard, and on the right is a large complex which include the Streim Vineyard, the Streim Cornfield and artificially separated from them is a little plateau known as Gradac, which with later excavations was confirmed as being the me ...
Founded: 2013 |
Location:
Vukovar, Croatia
Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Photo from Flickr, copyright Andrea Schaffer
Historic Site of the week
Late Baroque Town of Ragusa
The eight towns in south-eastern Sicily, including Ragusa, were all rebuilt after 1693 on or beside towns existing at the time of the earthquake which took place in that year. They represent a considerable collective undertaking, successfully carried out at a high level of architectural and artistic achievement. Keeping within the late Baroque style of the day, they also depict distinctive innovations in town planning and urban building. Together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto, it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1693 Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. Following this catastrophe the city was largely rebuilt, and many Baroque buildings from this time remain in the city. Most of the population moved to a new settlement in the former district of Patro, calling this new municipality 'Ragusa Superiore' (Upper Ragusa) and the ancient city 'Ragusa Inferiore' (Lower Ragusa). The two cities remained separated until 1926, when they were fused together to become a provincial capital in 1927.