Sveta Jelena (; en,
Saint Helen) is a historic medieval site in
Međimurje County
Međimurje County (; hr, Međimurska županija ; hu, Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped Counties of Croatia, county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje (region), ...
, northern
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
.
Originally a distinct settlement, Sveta Jelena is part of the
Šenkovec
Šenkovec ( hu, Szentilona) is a municipalities of Croatia, municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia, located just outside the county seat, Čakovec.
The municipality includes two villages – Šenkovec and Knezovec. In the 2011 census, the tw ...
municipality, about two kilometres away from
Čakovec
Čakovec (; hu, Csáktornya; la, Aquama; german: Tschakathurn) is a city in northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, sm ...
to the north. The site is well known for its
Pauline monastery of
St. Helen and associated facilities. Members of the
Zrinski noble family were buried in a
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
there. From the whole monastery complex, only the St. Helen's Chapel still exists.
The monastery itself was founded by
Stephen II Lackfi, Lord of
Međimurje and
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
, on 27 August 1376 and dedicated to
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
and
All Saints. After
Joseph II
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...
,
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
and the
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
of
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
abolished the Paulists' provinces in
his Empire on 7 February 1786, the members of the Order left Sveta Jelena.
Over time, the monastery complex had to be rebuilt several times after being damaged by disasters such as fires and earthquakes. In particular, a
large earthquake in 1880 nearly destroyed the building. Partial
archaeological excavations
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
have been carried out recently by the local
Međimurje County Museum
The Međimurje County Museum in Čakovec, the seat of Međimurje County, Croatia, is located in the Zrinski Castle inner palace, the biggest medieval fortification in the county, close to the centre of the town and its main square.
History
The ...
in Čakovec.
Burials at the monastery
*
Nikola Šubić Zrinski
Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...
*
Juraj V Zrinski
Juraj V Zrinski ( hu, V. Zrínyi György; 31 January 1599 – 28 December 1626) was a Croatian Ban (viceroy), warrior and member of the Zrinski noble family.
Biography
Juraj V Zrinski was born in Csáktornya Kingdom of Hungary (today Čakovec, ...
Image gallery
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia) - Pavlinski samostan.JPG, Pauline monastery in the 18th century
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia), kapela - jug.jpg, Chapel: south view
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia) - ostaci samostana i kapela.jpg, The remains of the monastery and the chapel
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia), kapela - ulaz.jpg, Entrance
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia), kapela - južni zid.jpg, South wall
File:Sveta Jelena (Croatia), kapela - freske.jpg, Frescos
External links
History, archaeological excavations and paintings of St. Helen's Chapel
A photo of the Chapel
History and photos of the Sveta Jelena site
Pauline monastery
Međimurje County tourism page
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Buildings and structures in Međimurje County
Tourist attractions in Međimurje County
Archaeological sites in Croatia
Medieval sites in Croatia
Zrinski
Former populated places in Croatia
History of Međimurje