THE FRANCISCAN MONASTERY AND THE CHURCH OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN MARIJA GORICA

Početkom XVI. stoljeća, pod pritiskom osmanskih osvajanja, došlo je do migracije stanovništva iz šireg područja oko rijeke Une na područje današnjeg brdovečkoga kraja (općine Marija Gorica, Brdovec, Zaprešić). Prema dostupnim podacima, čini se da su zajedno s iseljenicima stigli i franjevci. Njima je, prema pisanim vrelima iz XVI. stoljeća, dopušteno podići crkvu i samostan na mjestu koje se zvalo Sveta Gorica. Na glavni oltar novopodignute crkve franjevci su postavili kip Djevice Marije s djetetom koji su donijeli iz prvotne postojbine. Legenda o franjevcima i „čudotvornom“ kipu, koja je stoljećima živjela u narodu onoga kraja, velikim je dijelom potvrđena u znanstvenim radovima. Samostan u Svetoj Gorici prvi je koji su franjevci podigli na području zapadno od Medvednice.Ottoman conquest of the eastern parts of Croatian kingdom that was recorded in medieval and early modern written historical sources in 15th and 16th century caused a massive demographic change. Immigrants that migrated to the Susedgrad feudal possession populated the western parts of the manor, between the rivers Sava, Sutla and Krapina. The abovementioned immigrants spoke the ikavian-čakavian dialect (during time, they assumed kaykavian elements, but kept the ikavian reflex of jat, so today they are called kaykavian-ikavian speakers). According to historical sources and the legend, immigrants were led or accompanied by the Franciscans of provincia Bosniae Croatiae, carrying with them a mirraculus statue of Virgin Mary. Franciscans were allowed to build a monastery and a church, which was at first devoted to Saint Peter the Apostle but later, in the second half of the 17th century, changed its patron