Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2020.7
Parish Church of St. Vitus, with the Chapel of St. Barbara, in Brdovec: New Contributions to the History of Construction and Stucco Decoration
Viki Jakaša Borić
; Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Conservation Department in Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Ožanić
orcid.org/0000-0003-3935-8897
; Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Conservation Department in Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The text offers a number of new insights into the history of construction and design of the parish church of St. Vitus in Brdovec. They are the result of a comparative reading of archival sources, primarily reports of canonical visitations, and conservation and restoration research, which have significantly changed previously published theses. Rich stratification is the main feature of the church in Brdovec, and all historical phases, with detailed descriptions of renovations and the development of the church, have been thoroughly reviewed, leading to the conclusion that key interventions occurred during the 17th and 19th centuries, when the church got its present appearance. The older church, most likely from the beginning of the 16th century, was rebuilt in 1634 by extending the nave, and building a stepped bell tower in front of its western entrance. This was followed by the addition of the chapel of St. Anthony (1669) along the north wall of the nave, construction of a new wider sanctuary, and the installation of vaults over the nave which replaced the painted wooden ceiling. The construction of a new sanctuary and the "lower and upper sacristy" was arranged in 1672 with the master mason (magistrum murarium) Silvester Donati. The renovated church was consecrated in 1679; and, according to the visitor of 1686, it was under the patronage of the Čikulin family. The side chapel of St. Barbara was built between 1695 and 1700 on the site of the former masonry porch next to the south wall of the nave. The circular floor plan of the chapel is the only such example in the continental Croatia of the 17th century. The dome is decorated with valuable stucco decorations that have not attracted the attention of researchers, and which, along with chapels in Zagreb and Varaždin, are the only surviving stucco from the 17th century in continental Croatia. This research is the first time that information has been provided about the patroness of the chapel and the altar, Helena pl. Patačić, a great benefactress and client, who the visitors explicitly mention. The author of the stucco ornament remains unknown, but the formal features of the shallow, elongated ornamentation point to neighbouring Styria, since examples with similar stylistic features from the turn of the century can be found there. The only significant building project from the 18th century – which, however, significantly influenced the identity of today's church – is the installation of a Baroque top on the bell tower with a stepped structure, and the shaping of its façade with flat, elongated medallions made using a combination of coarse and smooth plaster textures. The church underwent major renovation during the first third of the 19th century, probably based on a standard design that changed the character of the interior and exterior. Baroque vaults were installed on the flanges above the nave and sanctuary, which is why the perimeter walls were lifted by approximately 130 cm and a new roof was installed. The basic front articulation, both the architectural ornaments and the shape of the window openings, originates from this period. The defined condition of the church was mostly repaired only through subsequent renovations, especially after the earthquake in 1880, when repairs were made to the damaged chapel of St. Barbara under the leadership of Gjuro Carnelutti. Analysing written sources, together with the findings of conservation research, has led to new knowledge about the church in Brdovec, since its qualities and historical stratification is yet again attracting the attention it undoubtedly deserves.
Keywords
Brdovec; church of St. Vitus; Čikulin family; Silvester Donati; chapel of St. Barbara; rotunda; stucco; Helena Patačić; building transformations; 17th; 18th and 19th centuries, Gjuro Carnelutti
Hrčak ID:
250637
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2020.
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