Page 59 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

2 of which are plague signs (Žnidar 2012, 62). At Acknowledgement
the crossroads in the village of Savinsko, there is The article was written as part of the project
a pillar-shaped plague sign from the turn of the Smell and Intangible Cultural Heritage (J7-
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which, ac- 50233), funded by the Slovenian Research and
cording to the locals, is more than 500 years old Innovation Agency (ARIS).
and has been restored several times (pp. 77–78).
On the main Poljčane-Majšperk road, near the References
former Marolf Inn under Štatenberg Castle, Atalić, B. 2019. ‘Svetci zaštitnici protiv epidemija
there is a column-shaped plague sign from the kuge: analiza primjera iz sakralnih baština
second half of the seventeenth century (p. 98). Rijeke i Osijeka.’ Acta Medico-Historica
Plague signs, individual saints, and patron Adriatica 17 (2): 213–232.
saints against the plague, which can be found in Barthes, R. 1981. Camera Lucida: Reflections on
churches, chapels and other monuments, bear Photography. Hill and Wangs. 59
witness to the historical presence of the disease, Bratož, U. 2020. ‘Človek v primežu epidemije:
the fear it caused and the deep belief in the power doživljanje kuge v Kopru in Gorici v 17.
of healing through the intercession of the saints. stoletju.’ Arhivi: glasilo Arhivskega društva in
Throughout history, the presence of plague signs arhivov Slovenije 43 (2): 271–286.
and the veneration of certain saints reflect the Byfleet, R. 2023. ‘Plague.’ Encyclopedia of Smell
profound impact the disease had on communi- History and Heritage, 19 October. https://
encyclopedia.odeuropa.eu/items/show/28.
ties, often leading to the adoption of rituals and Christopoulou-Aletra, H., A. Togia, and C.
prayers to gain divine protection. These prac- Varlami. 2010. ‘The ‘smart’ Asclepieion: A Sensory Representations of Plague
tises not only served as a source of comfort in Total Healing Environment.’ Archives of
times of crisis, but also emphasised the cultur- Hellenic Medicine 27 (2): 259–263.
al and spiritual importance of faith in overcom- Donadini, I. 1988. ‘Otac Fedele iz Zadra: kuga u
ing adversity. Splitu 1783–1784.’ Kulturna baština 18:68–
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Conclusion Eliade, M. 1987. The Sacred and The Profane:
To summarise, the plague altar from the par- The Nature of Religion. Harvest, Brace and
ish church in Makole, Slovenia, is a poignant World.
reminder of the profound impact of epidemics European Centre for Disease Prevention and
on both art and everyday life. This artistic rep- Control. n.d. ‘Plague.’ https://www.ecdc
resentation not only reflects the fears and strug- .europa.eu/en/plague.
gles of communities in times of crisis but also Frazer, J. G. 1922. The Golden Bough: A Study in
epitomises the resilience and hope that emerge Magic and Religion. Palgrave Macmillan.
in the face of adversity. The altar is a testament Godec Čizmarevič, M. 2022. ‘Tema kuge v
to how art can capture the collective memory of slovenskem pripovedništvu od realizma
a society struggling with loss and uncertainty, do socialnega realizma.’ Master’s thesis,
while providing solace and a sense of continui- University of Maribor.
ty. As we navigate our own challenges in the cur- Golec, B. 2022. ‘Kužne epidemije na
Dolenjskem med izročilom in stvarnostjo.’
rent post-Covid-19 era, the lessons we learn from In Iz zgodovine epidemij, edited by B.
such historical artefacts remind us of the endur- Šterbenc Svetina and M. Preinfalk. Zveza
ing human spirit and the way creativity can pro- zgodovinskih društev Slovenije.
vide solace and meaning amidst the chaos of an Golec, J. 1934. ‘Zlato in kuga pod križem.’
epidemic. Slovenski gospodar 68 (51): 3–6.