#281 Croatia...Thanks Josip!

The left stamp is from 2009 series of Famous Croats issue honoring JURAJ ŠIŽGORIĆ (1445 – 1509) ,who is a famous poet and humanist in the history of Croatian literature.

The right stamp was also issued in 2009 celebrating 350 jubilee of Franciscan Presence in Čakovec which is a city located in northern part of Croatia,showing St.Nicolas' church in Čakovec.

Franciscans arrived to Čakovec at the invitation of the count, Vice Roy and poet Nikola Zrinski VII of Čakovec in the year 1659. After discussing the issue with father superiors of other monasteries in the broader surroundings of Čakovec, Bishop Petar Petretić in September, 1659 adopted the decision on founding a monastery in Čakovec. A wooden monastery and the church burnt to the ground in 1699 and a present day monastery was built in 1702, the church adjacent to it in 1707.