In the past, the mountain pass until 1522 was known as Iron Mountain (Alpes ferreae), Gvozd (Gozdia) and Petrov Gvozd (Peturgoz) when due to the chapel of St. Nikola (previously St. Mikula) the population started to call it as Kapela. The pass is considered to have been the place where Croatian King Petar Snačić died in the Battle of Gvozd Mountain (1097), which was previously erroneously identified with Petrova Gora.
