Bilogora TURISTIČKA ZAJEDNICA
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TURISTIČKA ZAJEDNICA BJELOVAR &Bilogora TURISTIČKA www.turizam-bilogorabjelovar.com.hr ZAJEDNICA Founded as the City of Bjelovar Tourist Board, today the Bilogora- Bjelovar Tourist Board operates in the area of the City of Bjelovar and the municipals: Kapela, Nova Rača, Rovišće, Severin, Šandrovac, Veliki Grđevac, Velika Pisanica, Veliko Trojstvo and Zrinski Topolovac. For more than 20 years, we have been promoting and advancing inland tourism, and the tourist catalogue in front of you, came about so as to familiarise you with the cultural and natural heritage of the Bjelovar-Bilogora region. Bilogora-Bjelovar Tourist Board TURISTIČKA BJELOVAR &Bilogora BJELOVAR gora &Bilo Tourist Board for the Bilogora – Bjelovar Region, 2018. Welcome to Bjelovar and Bilogora! his tourist catalogue enables us to familiarize you with Bjelovar, one of the youngest cities in the Repub- Tlic of Croatia, as well as the municipalities and settlements on the green hills of Bilogora that surround it. If the heart is a symbol of love, and its heartbeats, its pulse, the symbol of life, then Bjelovar geographically positioned between two rivers, the Bjelovac and Plavnica, and embracing the fertile and wooded Bilogora region, is one of the strongest Bilogora heartbeats. Explore Bjelovar, the largest city in and the centre of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, and also the centre of the Diocese of Bjelovar-Križevci. When you discover all the city’s heartbeats, get to know the geometric regular- BJELOVAR ity of its streets, the you will walk along the village roads, forest paths and wine-producing hills, and let your gora heart guide you to the most beautiful Bilogora panoramas. You will come across wonderful views, farms, &Bilo wine roads, wineries and outdoor retreats, including dear and hospitable people. 2 3 he area of today’s City of Bjelovar and its Coming from the East was a new powerful mi li- peoples and cultures meet, where everybody is Twider surroundings has been inhabited tary – the Ottoman Empire. They also destroyed able to leave their mark in history. It took a long since ancient times, and from the ruins found and plundered these parts; hence for the pur- time, wars and fatalities, as well as a rebellion in several localities, we know that the Starčevo, pose of defending the inhabitants and the ter- by the border garrison of the Military Frontier Korenovo and Sopot cultures had existed there. ritory, defensive forts were built. Even as far for the Habsburg female ruler Maria Theresa to During the period and expansion of the Roman back as 1495, records mention the fortress in issue an order in 1756 for the establishment of Empire, this region became an integral part of today’s Gudovec (castrum Gudowch). Given that Bjelovar as a military town. The construction of BJELOVAR the Roman province of Pannonia. The Romans the Ottoman Empire did not lessen its conquest the town was entrusted to the Habsburg Gen- are not remembered only for their military endeavours, a series of new fortifications were eral Baron Philip Lewin Beck. the pulse of power and political intrigue, but also for their built along the border to the Ottoman Empire. Since then, the Bjelovar story has unfolded, a history brilliant constructions, especially the roads Although the name of the settlement Bélavár, story about a city that gradually transformed linking the farthest places of their Empire. Sev- Belovar, Beloblatje (Beloblaće) is mentioned in itself from a defensive city to a market as well eral Roman roads also traversed our region, historical sources even much earlier, we cannot as the economic and cultural centre of this part leading from Ptuj to Mursa, or what is known say with certainty whether the name actually of our homeland. The city underwent full devel- today as Osijek. refers to a settlement in today’s Bjelovar area. opment for the demobilisation of the Croatian We do not have much information about the The first credible mention of Bjelovar (Belo- Military Frontier, and its area was restored to medieval organisation of the settlement nor var) dates back to 1626. At that time, it was a the administrative rule of the Croatian citizens. the very life of the Bjelovar region. Only from fortress with a permanent military unit for the One of the important dates that should be a few later records written by the bishops in defence of the Croatian Military Frontier (Vojna mentioned is August 5, 1874, the day a law Zagreb can we learn about how this area was Krajina). was enacted by the Parliament of the King- inhabited, its acceptance of Christianity and the A city can be established only at a location dom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia pro- establishment of its oldest parishes. which is a crossroad of routes, where different claiming Bjelovar a free royal city. 1413. Belablata 1200. An interpretation of the name Bjelovar – Belovar 1423. (Ljerka Biondić) Belawar Belovar means an oak forest planted on a marly soil. There is a type of oak Beloblathye called white oak (belo), where the name “bel” refers to the part between the 1483. 1579. bark and heartwood. “Var” refers to Belovarcz the marly soil (as it is called Zagorje). Belouac According to this theory, the name 1611. itself referred to a natural environment ~1700. WELLOVAR (an oak forest on marly soil) where a Belowar fort was built. BJELOVAR9.11.1892. 4 5 The legend of the origin of journey, she entertained herself with Bjelovar – Novi Varaždin Bjelovar all the earthly pleasures. Happy and When the city was founded, it was supposed What can certainly be said of Maria satisfied, she decided to set up a town to have the name of Novi Varaždin, but it Theresa is that she was a brave and right at that exact location. Indeed, was never widely accepted. It was only as wise ruler, but she was also a beautiful today, there is a stucco on both sides of late as November 9, 1892, that Bjelovar got woman, perhaps too aware of her needs. the entrance to the Bjelovar Cathedral its current name. It was modelled on the Coat of arms of Bjelovar Once, while travelling through her great in the form of a chariot to the empress’s castrum – the Roman military camp. The Even on the older versions of the coat of empire, she arrived into our region. It so measure, to her satisfaction. But the rectangular shape of the very city centre arms of Bjelovar we can see a tower and happened that a wheel on her carriage real truth is that the founder of the city, which is still evident today, along with soldiers, guards beside it. So it is that broke, with no carriage craftsman Maria Theresa never actually visited square blocks of houses and the central city today’s coat of arms originated from nearby. While waiting for the carriage the city which was established by her square, was conceived on the model of the these historical scenes. The coat of arms to be repaired so as to continue her imperial decision. Renaissance fort, Taurine or Turin in Italy. has a motte, a square fortress with gun workshops, an arched gateway and a red The Bjelovar Scandal roof. Standing next to the tower is a soldier Long ago in 1888, in the vicinity of - a frontier, and three tree stumps in front of Bjelovar, major military manoeuvres were the fort. There are numerous interpretations held by the Austro-Hungarian army. On as to what these three stumps symbolise, that occasion, Bjelovar was visited by from that of three officers – fort Emperor Franz Joseph I in the company commanders (three voivodeships), to of the Austrian heir to the throne, Rudolf, perhaps representing the place of the razed Bjelovar-Bilogora County Bjelovar-Križevci Diocese the English prince of Wales (the future oak forest where the city was founded. Today’s Bjelovar-Bilogora County was Based on the papal bull of Pope Benedict king of England, Eduard VII), and the Whatever symbolic interpretation of the established on the foundations of XVI dated December 5, 2009, the Bjelovar- Croatian ban, Dragutin Khuen-Héderváry. coat of arms is accepted, it remains a the first Bjelovar County dating from Križevci Diocese was founded with As the emperor had been receiving symbol of Bjelovar, which is also found on 1871, and which was administered Vjekoslav Huzjak appointed as its first Croatian dignitaries, he also received the the official white flag of the city. by the first great prefect, the poet bishop. The diocese was fully established Bosnian and Srijem Bishop, Josip Juraj Ivan Vitez Trnski. The decision by the through the execution of the papal bull Strossmayer, to whom he had objected Croatian Parliament in 1992 led to the on the established, and the ordination of having sent a congratulatory message 1770. 1770. establishment of the today’s county and installation of the first bishop, to Kiev on the occasion of the ninth with its centre in Bjelovar, and its first which took place on March 20, 2010. The anniversary of the Christianisation of county prefect was Tihomir Trnski. Bjelovar Cathedral is the former church Kievan Rus’. In reply to the objection, the of St. Theresa of Avila, whereas the co- bishop replied, “No, my Majesty, I sent cathedral is in Križevci in the former the telegram to Kiev in full awareness, 1871. 1874. church of the Holy Cross. The patron of my conscience is clear and completely the Diocese is St Mark Križevci. at peace.” On account of the tone that the Bishop addressed the Emperor, journalists 1920. The oldest Croatian Easter egg throughout the monarchy, and beyond, 1907. The Bjelovar Museum has the oldest Croatian Easter called this meeting a scandal, even high egg which was found in the Gradina site in Gudovac, treason, and history will remember it as not far from Bjelovar.