Baroque art and culture : baroque historical framework

U skupnom pristupu znanstvenom razmatranju baroknih kulturnih i umjetničkih ostvarenja, kojima grad Varaždin kao bogatim nasljeđem obiluje, pogodno je uvodno navesti sažetu naznaku pojave baroka kao kreativnog i stilskog fenomena, koji se manifestira tijekom XVII. i XVIII. st. na tlu Europe, u slijedu feudalnog ciklusa državno-političkog razvoja na njenoj povijesnoj sceni. Međutim, u navedeno se doba odvijaju teške borbe za opstanak Hrvatske, tako da samo njezin uži sjeverozapadni dio ostaje neosvojen (reliquiae reliquiarum regni), te se na tom prostoru Varaždin razvija u veoma značajno vojno, gospodarsko, upravno i kulturno središte. U doba prosperiteta stara se gradska jezgra pojačano utvrđuje te tijekom XVII. i XVIII. st. urbano transformira izgradnjom značajnih baroknih sakralnih i javnih objekata, plemićkih palača i kurija te građanskih domova. U tom se razdoblju stvaraju izuzetno lijepi barokni urbani ambijenti skladnih mjerila okruženi baroknim objektima profinjenih bogato komponiranih profilacija i detalja.A joint approach to a scientific analysis of Baroque cultural and artistic achievements, that the City of Varaždin is so rich with, suitably states a comprised mentioning of the Baroque as a creative and stylistic phenomenon, manifested throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe, along with the feudal cycle of the state and political development. However, this was the period of severe struggling for the survival of Croatia. Only its narrow north-western part remained unconquered (the reliquiae reliquiarum regni), and in that area Varaždin was developing as a significant military, economic administrative and cultural centre. During the period of prosperity the old city core was fortified throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and was transformed through urban construction of Baroque sacral and public facilities, palaces and manors and city houses. During this period, extraordinary beautiful Baroque urban interiors were surrounded by harmonious Baroque structures with sophisticated, rich profiles and ornaments