This paper examines the historical novel "Zlatarovo zlato" by Augusta Šenoa. The study investigates how Šenoa interpreted the historical sources he used and ultimately portrayed the political, social, and cultural aspects of medieval life in Zagreb. "Zlatarovo zlato" is considered the first Croatian historical novel, with Šenoa following in the footsteps of Walter Scott. This analysis incorporates several modern theories, aiming to provide an example of a comprehensive approach to analyzing 19th-century historical novels. The theoretical framework is grounded in the theory of cultural memory, emphasizing the influence of culture and society on the formation of interpretations and narratives, including the context in which the author operated. August Šenoa operated within the context of 19th-century cultural memory in Croatia, characterized by nationalist ideology, the development of modern historical science, and literary movements such as naturalism and realism. Therefore, the paper also analyzes the concept of historical imagination and the ratio of fiction to facts in 19th-century historical novels. Finally, the paper proposes an interdisciplinary educational project in History and Croatian Language classes, in which the historical novel is integrated into history teaching as an educational medium for teaching about interpretations.