Medvedgrad Chapel of St. Philip and Jacob

The most valuable building of Medvedgrad is considered to be the unique octagonal Chapel of St. Philip and Jacob, built in the 13th century in “transitional style”, with characteristics of late Romanesque and early Gothic. It is made from brick, while the outside corners are reinforced with chiselled stone. All the construction elements are also made of stone, as are the parts of architectural plastic. The chapel has a monumental Romanesque entrance portal above which is a big rose window. The interior of the chapel used to be covered with murals, while the preserved original semi-capitals with herbal and figurative motifs are a true artistic masterpiece. The Chapel of St. Philip and Jacob is the oldest and most representative chapel of a patrician castle in Croatia, and is considered to be our most important building in the transitional Romanesque-Gothic style. Even though it was severely damaged in a powerful earthquake at the end of 16th century which also damaged the whole Medvedgrad, and even though it was neglected for centuries, the regular configuration of its layout and the height of its walls enabled a complete reconstruction at the end of the 20th century.