Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2025.18
Floors of the Zagreb Cathedral: Typology, Materials and Decoration
Toni Šaina
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Odsjek za zidno slikarstvo i mozaik, sjedište Rijeka
Sažetak
The floors of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints Stephen and Ladislaus, in Zagreb, were examined and documented during recent conservation and restoration research conducted by the Croatian Conservation Institute following the two earthquakes in 2020. During this process, the condition of the floors was assessed, and the necessary repairs were determined.
The flooring in the Zagreb cathedral had not previously been addressed as a separate topic in the literature and professional documentation; nor had it been highlighted as an important element of the final design. The survey included the floor coverings of the presbytery and sanctuary, which includes the suppedaneum of the preconciliar main altar of 1885, as well as the nave and side aisles. In the southern aisle, from west to east, the suppedaneum of the altar of Our Lady Queen (Our Lady of Protection), altar of the Holy Cross, altar of St Jerome, altar of St Luke, and altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the end of the southern apse, were all examined. In the northern aisle, also from west to east, the suppedaneum of the altar of Sts Peter and Paul, altar of Sts Cyril and Methodius, altar of St Joseph, altar of the Last Supper, and altar of Ladislaus, Stephen and Emeric, at the end of the northern apse, were examined. Floor coverings of the old and new sacristies were also inspected and analysed.
It is unusual that the list of craftsmen who participated in the renovation of the Zagreb cathedral from 1880 to 1885 does not include the names of those who made the floor coverings. Only the names of mosaicist Pasquale Pasquali, who created the mosaic in the sanctuary (and perhaps the terrazzo floors), and Gustav Färmisch of Trieste, who prepared the stone for the pulpit steps and the paving in the naves, were identified from historical records.
Typologically, on the basis of types of materials and techniques, the cathedral’s floor coverings are divided into several groups: stone-slab coverings, multi-coloured marble inlays laid using the opus sectile technique, mosaics arranged in the opus tessellatum technique, terrazzo floors with border strips made of mosaic tiles, and ceramic and concrete terrazzo tiles. For the altar suppedanea, the floor coverings are framed by stone steps, typically along three edges (front and sides).
The cathedral floors were mostly laid at the end of the 19th century, with some earlier floor coverings consisting of stone slabs and marble inlays preserved from that period. Until now, the floors have not been properly evaluated, so historical records and data on them is very scarce. The existing floors are part of the cathedral’s well-thoughtout design, and future restoration efforts should aim to preserve them as much as possible within the scope of upcoming work.
Ključne riječi
Zagreb cathedral; floor; stone; terrazzo; mosaic; ceramic tiles
Hrčak ID:
342711
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.2025.
Posjeta: 329 *