Oltar domovine, Medvedgrad, Memorial monument at Medvedgrad fortress, Croatia
The Altar of the Homeland is a monument at Medvedgrad fortress consisting of stone blocks of varying heights and six blue glass panels arranged in the shape of Croatia's coat of arms. The structure stands before the southern rampart and combines different artistic elements into a unified composition.
The sculptor Kuzma Kovačić, born in 1952 on Hvar, designed the memorial, which President Franjo Tuđman opened on 30 May 1994, Croatia's Statehood Day, as a place to honour the homeland. After 2000 the glass panels cracked, and in 2006 the first restoration phase was completed with cast glass elements. Tuđman's last public appearance was here on All Saints' Day, 1 November 1999.
The monument's name, Altar of the Homeland, reflects its role as a place where citizens come to pay respect to Croatia. Its stone blocks were cut from stone from every Croatian county, and the glass drops around it are blue and white. The carved cross of Croatian interlace recalls the era of Duke Branimir.
The monument stands before the southern rampart of the fortress and requires climbing the mountain path for roughly 40 minutes from Zagreb. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and visitors should be prepared for changing weather conditions at higher elevations.
The stone blocks are cut from rock from every Croatian county, and 29 blue and white glass drops lie around and on the monument. The glass panels cracked after 2000; the first restoration phase, fitting cast-glass elements, was finished in 2006.
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