Pauline monastery and church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Snow, Kamensko
Investor
Croatian Restoration Institute
Category
Sacred architecture
The Pauline monastery and the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded by Countess Katarina Frankopan Metlička in 1404. Due to the Turkish invasions in 1570, the Paulines left the monastery and leased it to Count Auersperg. They returned in 1684 and then began the renovation of the complex. The baroque restoration of the church began in 1740 and lasted until the middle of the 18th century. The construction of the monastery lasted from 1749 to 1767. The complex consists of three monastery wings and a church with a belfry that rests on the south wing of the cloister. The church is medieval, with a baroque interior with a rectangular nave and a narrow three-sided sanctuary, and it is vaulted with a baroque cross vault with belts. The interior is equipped with three baroque altars, baroque choir benches and a rococo pulpit, which was decorated by the famous Pauline painter Gabrijel Taller and later by the painter Fridrik Harmelić, teacher of Vjekoslav Karas.
The restoration of the cultural monument damaged in the war required complete static rehabilitation of the walls and foundations of the church and monastery, as well as the upgrading of the chapel above the sacristy. The facade of the church and monastery was renovated, the oak roof structure was reconstructed and replaced, a new covering made of pepper-tiles was installed, and the stone floor of the church and monastery was reconstructed, while the bulb on the bell tower was restored.