Polychrome Roof Tiles and National Style in Nineteenth-century Croatia

摘要

Over the course of the nineteenth and at the beginning of the twentieth century, in Croatia and the other provinces of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, churches, public buildings, and some residences were lavishly roofed with colorful glazed tiles.1 These distinctive roofs became symbols of the places and the times in which they were built, and in Croatia and elsewhere, the bright tiles often reflected nationalist aspirations (Figure 1). The Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dal-matia (the official name for Croatia) was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the second half of the nineteenth century. According to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Croatia became part of Hungary, while in the Hungaro-Croatian Compromise of 1868 it was given autonomy in interior affairs and religious, educational, and judicial matters. In the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of World War I, the country witnessed strong cultural and economic development. The capital, Zagreb, grew into a modern city with numerous institutions, such as the university, Academy of Sciences and Arts, and artistic and economic associations. However, discontent with Croatia's limited political and economic autonomy gave birth to a nationalist movement in political and cultural life.