Case file · Apparition / miracle
The Madonna of the Stone Gate
In the great fire of 1731 that destroyed much of Zagreb's Upper Town, a painting of the Virgin and Child in the Stone Gate was found unharmed in the ashes.
1731 CE · 45.81, 15.97 · status: legend
The account
The survival was taken as a miracle, the gate was rebuilt as a shrine, and the image, 'Mother of God of the Stone Gate', became the patroness of Zagreb. Candles burn there day and night, and the city celebrates her feast on 31 May.
The sceptical view
Paintings can survive fires by chance; the event is documented as a fire, the miracle is a matter of belief.