No Midnight Mass this Christmas at Zagreb Cathedral
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Zagreb cathedral (Photo: Private album)
Zagreb Cathedral remains under restoration, meaning there will once again be no Midnight Mass held there this Christmas.
It has been nearly five years since the last mass was celebrated in the cathedral, and it has been closed to the public since the 2020 earthquake.
The interior is surrounded by scaffolding, with 24,820 steel rods installed and all unstable sections that posed a risk of collapse removed.
This is the largest and most challenging restoration project in Croatia.
A new phase of work is now beginning, focused on reinforcing the cathedral to withstand even the strongest earthquakes.
Some architects, such as the late Viktor Kovačić and other contemporary professionals, have suggested dismantling the structure above 50 metres, arguing that maintaining such a tall cathedral is unreasonable.
(Photo: Private album)
However, the decision has been made to preserve the cathedral in its full form for future generations.
“The aim is to retain its design and aesthetic while strengthening its earthquake resistance,” Milan Crnogorac, the structural restoration project reviewer, told Dnevnik Nova TV.
The restoration involves a team of 50 workers and is expected to continue for many more years.
“It is very difficult to give an exact timeline, but the goal is to make the cathedral usable for its intended purpose—holding services—as soon as possible. However, the towers and their full restoration will undoubtedly take several years,” explained Ante Mlinar, the chief engineer overseeing the project.
