by sculptor Francesco Robba. The biggest Baroque project was the rebuilding of renaissance Dubrovnik after the catastrophic earthquake of 1667 when almost the entire city was destroyed. Many of its churches and public buildings were constructed from the ground up in the new Baroque style, for example the new cathedral, the Jesuit college with the church of St Ignatius, and the church of St Vlaho on the main square (1715) which shaped the southeastern section of the city. Pietro Passalaqua united the new baroque areas with his Jesuit Stairway, (reminiscent of the famous Spanish Steps in Rome) which led to the Ivan Gundulić Square below. During the Baroque numerous churches were built across Croatia. One of the most beautiful is the church of Maria of the Snow in Belec from 1740 with the entire interior filled with lively gilded wooden sculptures, and frescoes by the painter Ivan Ranger from Austria. He was a classic Rococo painter whose figures were softly painted in graceful positions in cheerful colours. The most important baroque painter of Dalmatian origin was Federico Bencovich, who studied under Carlo Cignani in Bologna. Other Croatian-born artists of the time include painter Bernardo Bobić, who worked mainly in Zagreb and northern Croatia, Matteo Ponzone, who was probably born on the island of Rab, and worked primarily in Italy, and Tripo Kokolja of Kotor who was active in Dalmatia. The 19th century Two crucial European events shaped the influences on Croatia towards the end of the 18th century. The fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 was followed by the Napoleanic conquest and formation of the short-lived Illyrian Provinces from 1809 to 1814. Afterwards, all of Croatia was ruled by the Austrian Empire, and remained so until the First World War. During that time, neoclassical was the style for grand buildings, and Romanticism flourished in the arts, with its emphasis on the glories of nature and authenticity of folk art. In the houses of ordinary people, simple decoration and cheerful colours prevailed, and Biedermeier furniture became popular. Artistic life within Croatia was now focused on Zagreb, with strong connections to Viennese culture and Central Europe. It was not until much later in the century that Croatian artists began to go wider afield to study — to Munich, Prague and Paris. At the same time, the cities of Croatia got an important urban makeover. For size and importance, the urban redesign