LUDBREG – Centrum Mundi
Or
Europe as canvas of concentric circles painted
by connecting artists and their settings

Collaborative Artistic Project funded by European Cultural Foundation

By

CSDVA – Croatia
Artenativa – Croatia
Kanonmedia – Austria
Line – Initiative and Movement – FYR Macedonia

In this project, the involved organizations from Croatia, Macedonia and Austria will be setting in motion coextensively the real space travels and online connections from the “Center of Europe – Centrum Mundi – Ludbreg’’ to the different places all across the Europe. Those movements will be recorded and then transformed into custom-made application for online viewing. The project has an aim to form new connections between artists and cultural organizations from participating European places and document new urban diversity.
The inspiration for this project, the place Ludbreg is small, in wider public not so well known place in Croatia, and yet it is one of the oldest settlements in Croatia. According to ancient legend from the Roman times, it was in Ludbreg that the circles of the Earth were thought up and drawn. All the larger metropolises are found on the circumferences of the circles, and it is in Ludbreg that the four elements – earth, water, fire and air – meet. In Croatia it is known as The Centre of the World.
The small Podravina Township evolved on the intersection of trade roads leading from East to West, and from South to North, all crossing the river Bednja. Illirians and Kelts passed these roads, as well as Tatars and Turks. On this place, prehistoric augurs predicted the future, Slavik sages brought their offerings, Roman patricians enjoyed the beauties of nature. It was the importance of these ancient roads spreaded through this region since the first millenium BC, which brought old Romans to settle here. Between years 6 and 9 AD they built a monumental fortress named IOVIO. By the fortress, a settlement was raised with time, whose inhabitants worked with and for the Roman army. Old Romans, appreciating the good geographic position, built Castrum Iovia in the place of today’s Ludbreg. It was a town equipped with complete infrastructure, a roman forum and termae (baths), which quickly became an economic and transportation center, and upon whose foundations Ludbreg as we know it today was later built. From that time origins the legend saying that from this place “rims of the world” were drawn, and all the large world centres built upon them…