Sensory representations of plague : the plague altar from the mid-18th century in St Andrew’s church, Makole, Slovenia

Ramšak, Mojca (author)

The article examines the sensory experiences associated with death during the plague and contextualis 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 particular, she analyses the lower part of the altarpiece, which is attributed to an unknown artist. The plague altar not only conveys religious messages, but also reflects the knowledge and belief in the miasma theory 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.

• Language: English
• Keywords: smell, plague, plague altar, miasma, Makole, Slovenia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 41-62
• Numbering: Letn. 13, št. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182768
• UDC: 159.933
• ISSN on article: 2350-5443
• DOI: 10.26493/2350-5443.13(1)41-62
• COBISS.SI-ID: 268040451
• Publication date in RUL: 22.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Studia universitatis hereditati
• Publisher: Univerza na Primorskem
• ISSN: 2350-5443
• COBISS.SI-ID: 272306688

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Čutne reprezentacije kuge : kužni oltar iz sredine 18. stoletja v cerkvi sv. Andreja v Makolah, Slovenija

Abstract

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 haloški 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 organizacije zaščite prebivalstva. Te teme nazorno ilustrirajo upodobitve kuge na oltarju in ponujajo vpogled v odzive družbe na bolezni ter smrt v tistem času.

• Keywords: vonj, kuga, kužni oltar, miazma, Makole, Slovenija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J7-50233
• Name: Vonj in nesnovna kulturna dediščina