Zagreb is a town with a rich history that existed already in the Stone Age. During the time of the Romans, a large well-organized center of Andautonia was built near the city, as evidenced by the archaeological park in the present-day Sciterjevo.
Zagreb, as we know it today, is part of its historical core and was created in the Middle Ages on two hills, Gradec and Kaptol. The Church of St. Catherine and the building of the First Zagreb High School are located on Catherine Square. Behind the church of St. Catherine from Upper Town, the former secular Gradec, there is a wonderful view of the Kaptol with the Zagreb Cathedral, the Dolac market, the main Zagreb square and the monumental domes of the Mirogoj main cemetery. Catherine Square is dominated by the most beautiful Baroque church in Zagreb, the Church of Saint Catherine. The church was built by the Jesuits in the first half of the 17th century. It is a single-nave church with six side chapels and a presbytery. In the chapels there are five wooden baroque altars from the 17th century and a marble altar from 1729. The church vault and walls are decorated with luxurious stucco from 1732. In the presbytery there is a low main altar, which is located in front of a large illusionistic painting of Saint Catherine among the Alexandrian philosophers, the author of which is the Ljubljana painter Kristofor Andrija Jelovsek. Church of St. Catherine was completely rebuilt after the earthquake in 1880, according to the plans of the famous architect Hermann Bolle.
The first Zagreb high school was founded by the Jesuits in 1607. The Jesuits are a Roman Catholic church order known for their scientific and educational activities. The school provided regular humanistic education for many students of peasant, urban and noble origin.