Požega diocese palace

Place: Požega

Photo: Destinacije.com

Description:

Founding of the Požega diocese in 1997. was a confirmation of episcopal tradition of Požega. In a way, Požega has been episcopal city since the 13th century. Catholic archbishop Ugrin has been Požega county prefect in and around 1225. Požega had its own St. Peter’s capitular treasury, founded in 1220, that was in constant operation from its foundation until the Ottoman rule, in the 16th century. Although it was not a cathedral treasury, its existance defines Požega as an important ecclesiastical centre. Its provost was also Pecs diocese vicar for Slavonia (i.e. land between rivers Sava and Drava and between Cernik in the west (near present-day Nova Gradiška) nad Morović in the east (in Srijem). During the Ottoman rule, Zagreb diocese had vicars in Požega – franciscans Petar Nikolić and Luka Ibrišimović.

In 1698, eleven years after the Ottomans were expelled, Jesuits had arrived in Požega. Soon after that they build a small living quarters next to the St. Lawrence church, on top of the remains of St. Clare order convent. Between 1705. and 1711. Jesuits build famous “Collegium Poseganum”, large baroque palace that once housed students of the grammar school that Jesuits have founded in 1698.

A separate building has been built in 1726. for the grammar school itself. The building is a convent today. In 1761, Jesuits had founded an academy for philosophical and theological studies, that became famous as “Academia Posegana”. It was abolished in 1776. by empress Maria Theresia, three years after the Jesuits were disbanded.

Kutjevo estate became the new owner of the palace (Jesuits were the owners of the Kutjevo estate once), and the palace was auctioned. Bishop Alagović bought the building. Since he was fond of Požega, he planned to convert Požega’s six-towered fortress into a residence for Požega bishops, and to turn Požega into diocesan see for the part of Slavonia that once was part of Pecs diocese. These plans were thwarted by his death in 1837.

Bishop Alagović has rebuilt the palace into two-storey building between 1833. and 1835, and turned it into an orphanage and talented boys’ home. After the restoration of Jesuits, the order returns to Požega to reclaim this institution and run it until 1871. After that it is once again run by archdiocese priests. In 1903. and 1904, the palace is rebuilt once again, and the third storey added in accordance to plans by Zagreb architect Janko Holjac at the incentive of Zagreb bishop Juraj Posilović. In this process the building gets its present form.

It is among the largest and the most grandiose diocesan palaces in Croatia. Although it has lost main baroque elements in the 1904. rebuilding, the palace still retains elements of different styles ranging from the 13th to the 20th century.

The palace was residence and place of education for several prominent Croatian writers, artists and priests such as Luka Ilić Oriovčanin, Vilim Korajac, Josip Eugen Tomić, Josip Štadler, Tomo Maretić, Ferdo Becić, Albert Bazala, Slavko Kolar, Josip Andrić and many others.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the archdiocesan orphanage, a great Požega poet, Franjo Ciraki has dedicated these verses to the institution that are testament to its improtance for Croatian people: