The collection began as a 19th-century donation by Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, a remarkable figure in his own right — Habsburg-era politician, pan-Slavist, patron of the arts — who collected European paintings with the explicit aim of donating them to a future Croatian academy. He founded the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1866 and gave it his pictures; they have been on display in this Renaissance-Revival palace overlooking Zrinjevac ever since.
The collection is uneven but contains several genuine highlights: a small Fra Angelico altarpiece, a Bellini Madonna, work by Carpaccio, Tiepolo, El Greco, and a particularly fine Bernardino Luini. Allow 90 minutes; the building is being slowly renovated and parts may be closed during your visit.