Katedrala u Đakovu: Povijesni osvrt - prikaz arhitekture, skulpture i slikarstva

The Cathedral in Đakovo by Ivan Rogić (priest, canon and professor of canon law) was published in 1932 in Osijek by the author. It is a comprehensive monographic work, which represents one of the most important early complete presentations of the Đakovo Cathedral of St. Peter – a masterpiece of 19th-century Croatian sacral architecture. There is also an excerpt in the form of a guide Through the Đakovo Cathedral from the same year. The work later saw a second edition in 1964 in Đakovo.

Ivan Rogić, as a long-time associate of the Đakovo chapter and a person closely connected to the cathedral, wrote a work with deep knowledge of the topic. The book provides a historical overview of the construction of the cathedral (1855–1882), the initiative of Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, the architectural design of Friedrich von Schmidt and others, and the political and cultural context of the Illyrian and Renaissance periods. The idea of ​​the cathedral as a national and church monument symbolizing Slavic and Croatian spirituality is particularly emphasized.

The main part consists of a systematic presentation of architecture: a description of the exterior (facades, towers, rosettes), the layout of the three-nave basilica, neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements, materials (baked brick, stone) and technical solutions. The author analyzes in detail the proportions, decorative motifs and symbolism that connects the Western and Eastern traditions. This is followed by a chapter on sculpture – altars, statues, reliefs, pulpit, baptistery and monuments (including Valdec's tombstone to Strossmayer in the crypt). Rogić describes the authors (domestic and foreign sculptors), iconography and artistic value. The final part is dedicated to painting: frescoes and wall paintings (especially the works of Nazarene masters such as M. A. Seitz), stained glass, mosaics and altar paintings. The book is illustrated with photographs, drawings and plans that allow for visual follow-up of the description.

The work also has documentary value because it records the state of the cathedral before the fire of 1933 and subsequent renovations. It is written in an accessible but professional style, intended for a wider audience – believers, pilgrims, students and art lovers. Rogić's monograph remains an important source for the study of the Đakovo Cathedral as the pinnacle of Strossmayer's patronage and one of the most significant sacral monuments in 19th-century Croatia.