Description of the attraction
Maria Bistrica is located 20 kilometers from the Croatian capital, in the historical region called Croatian Zagorje. Maria Bistrica is famous primarily as the largest pilgrimage center in Croatia, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.
For the first time, Maria Bistritsa is mentioned in documents dated back to 1209. In 1334, the first data on the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. According to legend, during the threat of an attack by the Turks, a local priest hid in 1545 a statue depicting the Virgin Mary and Child. In 1588, the statue was found thanks to the bright glow that emanated from it. After this incredible incident, the statue was considered miraculous, and pilgrims began to come to Maria Bistrita.
In 1710, the Croatian parliament decided to allocate funds for the construction of a new altar in the church, which was built five years later. In 1731, the church was expanded and re-consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary, in connection with which the name of the settlement also changed. In 1750, by the decision of Pope Benedict XVI, Maria Bystrica was included in the list of the sanctuaries of the Virgin.
From 1879 to 1882 a new church building in the neo-Renaissance style was under construction. The restoration project was designed by the architect Hermann Bolle. The temple was surrounded by arcades, and in 1883 it acquired its modern appearance. In 1923, Pope Pius XI granted the Bistrica sanctuary the status of a "Minor Basilica", later, in 1935, the image was crowned by the Archbishop of Zagreb. In 1971, July 13 was proclaimed a festive day of the Mother of God of Bistritskaya.
An important event in modern history is Pope John Paul II's visit to Maria Bystrica in 1998. On October 3, he held a ceremony for the canonization of Archbishop Aloisy Stepinats.
