Page 41 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

Sensory Representations of Plague: The Plague Altar from the Mid-18th Century
in St Andrew’s Church, Makole, Slovenia
Čutne reprezentacije kuge: kužni oltar iz sredine 18. stoletja v cerkvi sv. Andreja
v Makolah, Slovenija

Mojca Ramšak
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Heritage Science Laboratory
Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo, Laboratorij za dediščinsko znanost
mojca.ramsak@guest.arnes.si

Abstract
The article examines the sensory experiences associated with death during the plague and contextualis- 41
es them within a specific historical and geographical framework. The author focuses on the plague altar
from the mid-eighteenth century in the Haloze Church of St Andrew in Makole, Slovenia. In particu-
lar, she analyses the lower part of the altarpiece, which is attributed to an unknown artist. The plague al-
tar not only conveys religious messages, but also reflects the knowledge and belief in the miasma theo-
ry of the time in question, in particular the understanding of the smell of the plague, the regulations on
the plague and the organisation of civil protection. These themes vividly illustrate the depictions of the
plague on the altar and offer insights into society’s reactions to illness and death in this period.
Keywords: plague, plague altar, smell of plague, miasma, Slovenia

Izvleček
Članek obravnava čutne izkušnje, povezane s smrtjo v času kuge, in jih kontekstualizira v določenem
zgodovinskem ter geografskem okviru. Avtorica se osredotoča na kužni oltar iz sredine 18. stoletja v ha-
loški cerkvi sv. Andreja v Makolah v Sloveniji. Analizira predvsem spodnji del oltarne slike, ki je pripisan
neznanemu umetniku. Kužni oltar ne prenaša samo verskih sporočil, ampak odraža tudi znanje in vero
v teorijo miazme v obravnavanem obdobju, zlasti razumevanje vonja kuge, predpisov o kugi in organi-
zacije zaščite prebivalstva. Te teme nazorno ilustrirajo upodobitve kuge na oltarju in ponujajo vpogled
v odzive družbe na bolezni ter smrt v tistem času.
Ključne besede: kuga, kužni oltar, vonj kuge, miazma, Slovenija

Introduction The plague altar, which was created be-
a) On the plague altar from Makole tween 1751 and 1756 by the sculptor Jožef Štraub,
n June 2024, I became aware of the plague al- is a wooden altar that was restored in 2018 due
tar of St Sebastian in St Andrew’s Church in to significant damage, and features polychrome
IMakole, Slovenia, a significant historical arte- statues of angels and saints, including St Charles
fact from the mid-eighteenth century. I was in- Borromeo and St Roch, who are depicted as pa-
trigued by its role in contemporary folk religios- tron saints against the plague. The altarpiece
ity and its connection to local narratives about shows a painting of St Peter and St Sebastian,
the plague, and arranged to visit the altar. On the latter traditionally associated with infec-
22 June 2024, I conducted an interview with the tious diseases, holding arrows symbolising his
parish clerk, who gave me insights into the altar’s martyrdom.
significance today and shared stories about the The lower part of the altar shows a poign-
plague that have survived in the community. ant plague scene painted by an unknown artist.
https://doi.org/10.26493/2350-5443.13(1)41-62 © author/authors