Idyllically situated, Lepoglava lies at the foot of Mount Ivanšćica near the River Bednja. It is a small town with a high place in Croatian art, culture, science, history and religion. For the most part, it was the Paulines who made the town's reputation. In 1503, they built Lepoglava grammar school, the first one in Croatia, then, in 1656, the Faculty of Philosophy, and founded the first university in Croatia. They produced sumptuous buildings, such as the parish church and the monastery with its richly-painted frescoes, altars, its organ and furnishings, much of which survives.
They were also responsible for Baroque churches at Gorica, Lepoglavska Purga, Kamenica, and Viπnjica dotted round about the countryside near Lepoglava. Ivan Ranger’s beautiful frescoes in these places of worship perfectly complement Lepoglava’s historic architectural complex.
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