The “controversial” image of the Jews. The case of the parish church of Saint George in Lovran

Additional Files

Pubblicato

2025-10-28

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/3830

Autori

  • Ivana Capeta Rakic University of Split

Parole chiave:

anti-jewish iconography, fresco painting, 15th century, istrian peninsula, biblia pauperum, lovran

Abstract

In the town of Lovran, located on the eastern coast of the Istrian peninsula, three late medieval churches are adorned with Gothic frescoes. These include the parish church of St. George, the church of St. John the Baptist, and the church of the Holy Trinity. The subject of research in this paper focuses on the frescoes in the church of St. George, specifically the images on the northern wall. In the iconography of the paintings, the author recognizes anti-Jewish symbolism that had hitherto gone unnoticed and unstudied at this location. The author substantiates the hypothesis of anti-Jewish iconography in the frescoes with evidence drawn from the contemporary reception of the images, specifically through the interpretation of graffiti inscribed by worshippers. Written in Glagolitic script, these graffiti—particularly those of an offensive nature—were directed at the negative figures portrayed in the frescoes.

Nella città di Lovran, situata sulla costa orientale della penisola istriana, tre chiese tardo medievali sono adornate con affreschi gotici: la chiesa parrocchiale di San Giorgio, la chiesa di San Giovanni Battista e la chiesa della Santissima Trinità. Questo articolo si concentra sugli affreschi della chiesa di San Giorgio, nello specifico sulle immagini sulla parete settentrionale. Nell’iconografia di questi dipinti, l’autore riconosce un simbolismo antiebraico che fino ad ora era passato inosservato in questa località. L’autore sostiene l’ipotesi che i dipinti siano antiebraici attraverso analizzando la coeva ricezione delle immagini, in particolare mediante l’interpretazione dei graffiti incisi dai fedeli. Scritti in alfabeto glagolitico, questi graffiti – soprattutto quelli di natura offensiva – erano rivolti alle figure negative rappresentate negli affreschi.

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Come citare

Capeta Rakic, I. (2025). The “controversial” image of the Jews. The case of the parish church of Saint George in Lovran. Il Capitale Culturale. Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, (19), 25–54. https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/3830

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