Archaeological Museum organized a Count Laval Nugent Walk
News
03 November 2021
On the anniversary of the birth of Laval Nugent, the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, in cooperation with the Embassy of Ireland, organized a Count Laval Nugent Walk on November 3. The walk took place through the center of Zagreb to well-known locations related to the Nugent family. After the welcome speech by Hrvoje Šimić, head of the Croatian-Irish inter-parliamentary friendship group, at the beginning of the walk the participants had the opportunity to find out information about Laval's house in Opatička 2 and the story of the chain from the Battle of Trafalgar.
This was followed by a visit to Grič Park, where colleagues from the Croatian History Museum presented a replica of the flag of Viceroy Josip Jelačić, which Albert Nugent, a son of Laval Nugent, carried during the ceremonial enthronement of the Viceroy in 1848. After the visit to Grič Park, the collection of stone monuments was viewed in the lobby of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, where the participants of the walk learned that the collection was excavated, assembled and brought to Croatia, more precisely to one of the first museum institutions, the Museum Nugent, by Nugent himself, after the purchase of Trsat Castle in Rijeka in 1824. After an interesting presentation of information about the progress of the excavation and the journey of the collection that arrived at the National Museum back in 1894 after the purchase, the walk ended with the arrival at the AMZ Gallery, where Thomas Byrne, State Secretary for European Affairs of the Republic of Ireland, addressed the participants of the walk via a recorded video message. and all participants were greeted by the director of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Sanjin Mihelić, and Ambassador Ruaidhri Dowling.
The Nugent walk is a continuation of the successful cooperation between the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and the Embassy. The plan is to further develop the Nugent Walk in order to make it a tourist offer of the city of Zagreb, which will bring out both local denizens and tourists and introduce them to the "most famous unknown Irishmen in Croatia". Laval Nugent, born on November 3, 1777 in Ballynacor, County of Westmeath, is one of the most dynamic figures of the turbulent 19th century, especially on the Croatian historical scene. With his military successes, he reached the rank of field marshal and was chosen as negotiator of the Habsburg family with Napoleon. He was a favourite of Pope Pius VII after the liberation of Rome from Murat, the king of Naples. He became the supreme military commander of King Ferdinand of the Bourbon dynasty after his return to the throne of Naples. During his stay in Italy, he married Giovanna Riario - Sforza, with whom he began his fascination with Croatia due to her family ties with the Croatian Frankopan nobility.
Thanks go to Porin Šćukanec Rezniček of the AMZ for organizing everything.