Nova Gradiska

Nova Gradiska is the smaller of the two towns in Brod-Posavina County. It is located in the western part of the county and in many ways assumes the role of a regional center, thus complementing the role of Slavonski Brod.The same is true for the history of Nova Gradiška, which, however, does not go as far as the history of Slavonski Brod. Nova Gradiska was founded in 1748 as a command post in the western part of the Slavonian border with the Ottoman Empire. In accordance with the provisions of the military authorities, which were a Baroque combination of customs' and military needs, Nova Gradiska has a layout of straight, parallel streets that merge into a spacious rectangular square. Then, as today, the main city square housed the most important buildings in city life: the beautiful single-nave late Baroque church of St. Theresa with a unique tower in the shape of a pyramid of curved lines, the Main Guard building with a beautiful arcade typical of Military Frontier architecture, museum building, courtroom and somewhat newer buildings from the period of classicism and secession. Classicist Church of St. Stephen (later renamed the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary) contains paintings by Celestin Medovich, one of the most important painters of the Croatian Art Nouveau. The church only adds splendor to the main town square and the buildings on the square, which have become symbols of the town of Nova Gradiska.

№450 in Cities of Croatia