Original scientific paper
Altars of Blessed Virgin Mary’s Ascension in Molve
Dragan Damjanović
orcid.org/0000-0003-2589-8075
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The church of Molve undoubtedly belongs to greatest and most important sacral buildings of 19th century Croatia. The fact that it was designed by one of the greatest architects of Croatian historicism, Franjo Klein, highlights the scientific interest of its shape and design. However, the church is as much valuable and interesting when it comes to its interior and decoration, almost entirely completed in late 19th and early 20th century.
The church was built somewhere between 1855 and 1862. After its completion, it was mainly refurbished with old inventory from the previous parish church, since money was lacking to buy the new ones. Two 18th century baroque altars - St. Catherine and St. Anthony of Padua - were moved into the church and today are in the church nave, only the titles are changed - since the beginning of 20th century the altars are consecrated to the Blessed Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Lourdes. At the times of the church finalization, an altarpiece of Blessed Virgin Mary’s Ascension was commissioned, which still stands today at the main altar. It was painted by an unknown painter, using a pattern template Immacculata, by Spanish painter Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo.
Purchase of new inventory for Molve church began only at the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century, thanks to capable and agile then-parish priest Blaž Tomašić. First, the main altar was purchased in 1897 in Tyrol from the Ferdinand Stuflesser manufacture. It’s one of the largest altars of Croatian historicism of all. In 1904, the purchase of two side altars, St.Anthony of Padua and St. Nicholas for Molve church transept was initiated by parish priest Tomašić, who originally intended to purchase side altars also at Stuflesser’s in Tyrol. However, the Croatian government in Zagreb ordered that all altars had to be commissioned from a Croatian manufacture, to promote and support local, Croatian handicraft. Although priest Tomašić tried to avoid doing so, finally his efforts failed. Croatian government commissioned projects of Molve church new side altars to Zagreb architect Stjepan Podhorski. Altars’ carpentry was done by Zagreb carpenter Gjuro Fröhlich, and only the sculptures were ordered from Tyrol - from Austrian sculptor Josef Runggaldier. Of all sculptures on the new side altars, the most interesting one (iconography-wise) is St. Philomena, the saint particularly worshipped in 19th century. The 1961 Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican revoked her sainthood, due to poor and lacking evidence of her supposed miracles. Her niche at Molve church had been closed and only a few years back it was reopened.
Keywords
Molve; parish church of Blessed Virgin Mary’s Ascension; Historicism; Neo-romanticism; Neo-renaissance; Ferdinand Stuflesser; Josef Runggaldier; Stjepan Podhorsky; Gjuro Fröhlich; Blaž Tomašić
Hrčak ID:
77859
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2009.
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