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History
Though it is the youngest town in Zagreb County, Sveta Nedelja has proudly preserved its historical monuments, as a testimony to this in this area, and evidence of continuous development.
Proof of inhabitancy stretches back into the Roman period. The main roads of Roman Pannonia passed through here, connecting Emona (Ljubljana) and Siscia (Sisak), and along its route, in the present day settlement of Jagnjić Dol, a valuable bronze fibula dating back to the turn of the 3rd century AD was found at the Herešinec archaeological site.
In Novaki, a sarcophagus without a cover, fragments of Roman bricks, a coin from the period of Constantine I were found here, leading to the assumption that this was the site of a Roman settlement.
The most important evidence of Roman culture was found in Kerestinec. This is a large stone monument to the Roman great Pontius from the 3rd century AD. The monument was found in the late 19th century, and until recently, its copy was on display in the centre of Kerestinec. It is assumed that there was a Roman cemetery (tumuli) at Kerestinec, and perhaps also a smaller military base.
There are only indirect data on the arrival of the Croats and their life in this area. With the start of the late medieval period, in the 12th century, there was a large estate at Okić. The famed fortress at Okić was then constructed by the first known noblemen in this part of the Samobor Highlands - the Okić knights (who held the estate from 1193 to 1293). From the 13th to 16th centuries, the Okić estate held the peasant villages and settlements of Kerestinec, Kalinovica, Mala Gorica, Brezje and Jagnjić Dol (previously called Dol), and later Srebrnjak and Breg (Svetonedeljski Breg) and, of course, Sveta Nedelja. The settlements in the northwestern area of Sveta Nedelja then fell under the rule of the Susedgrad estate: Strmec, Orešje, Novaki and Rakitje (the administrative centre was in Novaki). Bestovje did not appear as a separate settlement until the late 19th century.
In 1493, the Okić estate was purchased by the famed Erdödy counts, for a total of 6000 forints in gold, and they remained the masters of these lands until 1860.
The Erdödy family erected a new lowland fortification with Renaissance features - the fortified castle at Kerestinec. In 1565, Petar Erdödy (1504 - 1567) was awarded the noble title of count, and already then was actively working on the construction of the castle at Kerestinec, surrounded by a wide moat. In 1575, the castle was expanded and renewed, and works continued until the late 16th century.
The famous Peasant's Revolt in 1573 also affected the Sveta Nedelja area, particularly the areas of Kerestinec and Stupnik (Count Franjo Tahi was the estate holder in the neighbouring Susedgrad-Stubica estate). Under the leadership of the nobles from Draganić, many rebels rose up around Kerestinec in early 1573, and therefore it could be said that this was the core of the revolt in this area. Under the guidance of Ivan Pasanac, a numerous contingent of the peasant army arrived Kerestinec on 3 February 1573, and received massive support of the local peasants. Soon the strong noblemen's army arrived at the scene, led by Gašpar Alapić. Battle broke out at the foot of Kerestinec on 6 February 1573, when the well-trained nobleman's army defeated and dispersed the rebel forces. The chronicles state that 400 to 500 peasants were killed then, and the castle of the Erdödy counts was damaged.
In the 15th century, the Sveta Nedelja area (which then had a population of 500 to 600 souls), finally received its own Catholic parish. The parish of the Most Holy Trinity in Sveta Nedelja (S. Trinitas, Nedelschak, Nedelci) was not listed in the first list of parishes of the Zagreb Diocese in 1334 (by Archdeacon Ivan Gorički), but was included in the second list of 1501, with mention of parish priest Martin. In 1501, there was already a small, stone and wood Gothic church, which in 1608 received the addition of the Chapel of St. Peter. It was only in the 18th century that the present day Baroque style Church of the Most Holy Trinity was erected here.
During the Baroque era, the parish of the Most Holy Trinity received its most valuable sacral structures.
Of the sacral structures constructed during the Baroque period in the Sveta Nedelja parish, the most important is the parish Church of the Most Holy Trinity. The majority of works were carried out from 1740 to 1745, and from 1770 to 1775, with the consecration ceremony performed on 14 July 1776 (the church was later expanded also by parish priest Šilobod in 1783). Near the church, the Baroque style guest house was erected in 1793.
The Chapel of St. Rocco was constructed in Sveta Nedelja between 1650 and 1688, and it received its present day form and size in 1748. On the hill above Mala Gorica, there was the wooden Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene already in the 17th century (in 1650). The brick Baroque style church was constructed in 1768. The Chapel of St. Andrew in Novaki (likely then wooden) was mentioned already in 1652, while the brick chapel was built in the 19th century.
The economic foundation of this region in the past 50 years has completely changed. Earlier, this was exclusively an agricultural area. The first industrial plants appeared just before the end of World War II, with stronger economic development occurring in the late 1960s. With the already formed industrial centres at Kerestinec, Brezje and Rakitje, a new industrial zone began to form at Novaki and Bestovje south of the road Samobor – Podsused, which expanded to the north side of the road, towards Strmec and further towards Sveta Nedelja.
On 30 December 1992, the Croatian Parliament passed the decision to establish the municipality of Sveta Nedelja, and in July 2006, it was proclaimed a town.
