The Empress Maria Theresa (1740- 1780) restored the Požega- Slavonia county around the middle of the 18th century. The county borders on Papuk and Krndija in the North, Lonđica and Imrijevci in the East, Dilj, Cernik, Psunj, Lipik and Pakračka Poljana in the South, and in the West Repušica near Kutina and Ilova. The city was the administrative and governing center, and in 1765 Požega was granted a free royal city charter . However the city was controlled by the county and the government of Croatian Slavonian and Dalmatian countries in Zagreb.
Požega underwent a period of vigorous development and the urban process displayed its status as the educational, political, social and cultural center. Aside from the old medieval churches ( St. Holy Ghost and St. Lawrence) the Jesuits college (tody the Bishop's Palace) the old grammar school building ( today the St. Vincent's monastery ), the Town House and numerous baroque low-rise buildings on the northern side of the central town square are built. The famous monument in the form of a column was built on the central square in honour of the Holy Trinity (plague column in 1739) ten years later. The urban development was reached by the Church of St. Theresa of Avila (today cathedral) which was formed in 1763 and counts among the most magnificent baroque churches in Slavonia.
The city government consisted of the city representation (senate), the magistracy (magistrates) with its chief magistrate- the mayor. The order was provided by the City guard.
Požega has always been the city of trade. The oldest tradesmen were the tailors, furriers, wheelwrights, bootmakers, etc. who joined the guilds due to better business activities and competition. For advancement of trade and later industrial products streets, the railway (1894), the post,etc. have been built.