Papers by Zuzana Janošíková
Pamiatky a múzeá, 2021
Členovia šľachtického rodu Horvát-Stančič (Horváth-Stansith) realizovali v polovici 16. storočia ... more Členovia šľachtického rodu Horvát-Stančič (Horváth-Stansith) realizovali v polovici 16. storočia stavebné úpravy neskorogotického panského sídla v Strážkach v duchu renesancie. 1 Z prvej etapy prestavby spred roku 1561 pochádza štítková atika, ktorá je jednou z najstarších úprav svojho druhu na šľachtických obytných objektoch na Spiši. Najrozsiahlejšia prestavba objektu sa uskutočnila v prvej štvrtine 17. storočia, keď bol vo vlastníctve Baltazára Horváta-Stančiča. So stavebnou činnosťou rodu Horvát-Stančič je spojená aj neďaleká zvonica situovaná pri Kostole sv. Anny.
Predtým, ako Strážky spolu s ďalšími donáciami v roku 1556 udelil Ferdinand I. chorvátskemu šľach... more Predtým, ako Strážky spolu s ďalšími donáciami v roku 1556 udelil Ferdinand I. chorvátskemu šľachticovi Marekovi Horvátovi-Stančičovi z Hradca (Horváth-Stansith de Gradecz), patrila obec od konca 15. storočia rodine Vrkočovcov (Warkocz, Warkoch) a od roku 1536 poľskému šľachticovi Hieronymovi Laskymu (Hieronymus Laski). Krištof Vrkoč, pôvodom z dolnosliezskych Nieszkowic (do roku 1937 Neobschütz), 1 prišiel do Uhorska ako súčasť sprievodu Hedvigy Tešínskej, manželky Štefana Zápoľského a vypracoval sa na jedného z ich najvýznamnejších familiárov. 2 Rovnako sa do okruhu najbližších osôb kňažnej Hedvigy zaradila Krištofova manželka Katarína Toryská (Tárcai, Tarcay, Tarczay), dcéra vojvodcu a blízkeho spojenca Mateja Korvína, Tomáša Toryského. Katarína zastávala tiež pozíciu dvornej dámy Barbory Zápoľskej, Hedviginej a Štefanovej dcéry. Spre-vádzala ju do Krakova, kde sa konala jej svadba s poľským kráľom Žigmundom I. Jagelovským. V Strážkach, ktoré Vrkočovci spolu s inými majetkami získali od Štefana Zápoľského, investovali okrem vý-stavby neskorostredovekej kúrie (okolo 1500) 3 aj do úpravy a vybavenia tamojšieho Kostola sv. Anny. Ten je najstaršou murovanou stavbou v obci a jeho počiat-ky datujeme najneskôr do polovice 14. storočia. 4 K pô-vodnému priestoru jednolodia bez veže bolo koncom 15. storočia pristavané presbytérium s polygonálnym záverom a sakristia. 5 Vznik južnej predsiene možno datovať najneskôr na začiatok 16. storočia, 6 o čom svedčí tvar a profilácia vstupného polkruhového por-tálu. Priestor pozdĺžnej nadzemnej krypty, pristavaný k lodi zo severnej strany, býva v literatúre datovaný buď rokom 1708 7 alebo je označený ako renesančný z polovice 17. storočia. 8 Z obdobia prvej štvrtiny 16. storočia pochádza trojica v interiéri dodnes zachova-ných neskorogotických oltárov, ktoré objednali práve Vrkočovci. 9 Najskôr samotný Krištof nechal vytvoriť aj nástenné maľby predstavujúce Pašiový cyklus a Po-sledný súd v lodi či iluzívnu architektúru vežovitého pastofória s fiálami, dvíhajúcu sa nad jednoduchým výklenkovým tabernákulom v presbytériu. Z rovnakej fázy pochádza maľovaná girlanda zo sušeného vavrí-nu, rámcujúca vstupný sedlový portál na južnej strane lode, ktorá je výrazne podobná girlande v skrini hlav-ného oltára. 10 Kostol sv. Anny bol teda do záveru prvej tretiny 16. storočia vyzdobený a zariadený v štýle ne-skorej gotiky, do ktorého stihli preniknúť už viaceré renesančné elementy. 11 Mnohí podporovatelia Jána Zápoľského, ako pro-tikandidáta na uhorský trón, prišli po definitívnom víťazstve Ferdinanda I. o svoje majetky. Úspešnejší uchádzač následne zhabané majetky rozdelil svojim prívržencom. Marek Horvát-Stančič z Hradca si spo-medzi všetkých majetkov na Spiši, na ktoré dostal od panovníka dedičné právo, 12 za svoje sídlo stano-vil Strážky. Toto vlastníctvo získal za zásluhy pri ob-rane pevnosti Sihoť (Szigetvar, Siget, Zigetvar), ktorú sa snažila dobyť mnohonásobná osmanská presila. Horvát-Stančičovci boli jednou z mnohých chorvát-skych šľachtických rodín, ktoré museli pre tureckú okupáciu južných území Uhorska opustiť svoje pô
The authors of the article had turned their attention to three sepulchres - the renaissance figur... more The authors of the article had turned their attention to three sepulchres - the renaissance figural tomb of a knight from Treskow family from the Church of St. Egidius in Bardejov, the tomb of Konrad Kappler from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Sabinov and the tomb of Stefan Dessöffy from Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Sabinov.
The Bardejov tomb, which has not been yet identified, led to hypothesis about a possible German, Dutch or Waloon origin of the noble. The key to identification was the embossed family coat of arms, the study of which led the authors to eliminate any possibility of his being a Hungarian noble. The research proved that the coat of arms belonged to the German family of Treskow (Tresckow, Treszkow, Treschkow, Treskau) coming from Saxony. So far, there hes been no succes in finding a concrete person to identify with the Bardejov knight or the reason for his sojourn in the upper Šariš region (maybe it was military service for the emperor or some local magnate). The details of the sandstone tomb and a thorough analysis of the figure helped to identify the author of the work and his workshop - Santi Gucci, who came from Florence and worked in nearby polish Krakow since1557. The Bardejov renaissance tomb shows clear signs of his work and probably originated between 1580 and 1600.
The tombstone of Konrad Kappler is made of pink marble and was secondarily imbedded in the exterior of the Church of St. John the Babtist in Sabinov. This renaissance sculpture work is sporadically referred to in registers and monument documents, but the presentation is vague and insufficient despite its qualities. The authors identified the German text, where it is mainly the type of the writing which is epigraphically interesting and which is so far the only known example of the use of fracture on a sepulchre monument in this region. The tomb panel depicts a life-size figure of a knight in armour, with helmet on his head and standing astride the pedestal. He holds a spear with a flag in his right hand and the left one rests on his sword. There probably was a lion sculpture underneath his legs, which symbolized the Resurrection. A fully preserved coat of arms of Konrad Kappler can be found in the lower left corner.
The figural tombstone of Stefan Desöffy in black marble is imbedded in the southern nave´s wall of Sabinov´s Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. So far, the historians referred to it as a late-renaissance epitaph from the end of the 16th century. The noble, to whom the tombstone is dedicated, was successfully identified thanks to the inscription made in capital letters - it is Stefan Desöffy (1667-1742), a significant military captain and benefactor of Sabinov´s piarist college.
Sixteenth century brought new impulse for education and culture to Bardejov, in connection with L... more Sixteenth century brought new impulse for education and culture to Bardejov, in connection with Luther's ideas of reformation that were rather soon adopted by local scholars. After battle of Moháč life the city started to be affected by another factor - the conflict with Ottoman Empire. Despite the fact the city was never directly under a threat, political tense and preparations against the danger were affecting in indeed as the city had to participate on anti-ottoman army organized by Emperor Maximilian II. Its proven presence in Šariš is since training and manoeuvres in 1566. Saxon captain Heinrich von Treskow was one of the participans. We assume that after military expedition he held a position of a captain of one of the border castles, most possibly castle Makovica. The castle was abandoned after last owner Gašpar II. Šerédy aied in 1566. Tombstone of Heinrich von Treskow is the main subject of our study. It is situated in Bardejov parish Church of st. Egidius and until very recently it was known as a "tombstone od an unknown knight". Originally, it was a tomb. Unfortunately , only the tombstone baring figure of the deceased has preserved until present day. Tombstone of Heinrich von Treskow was originated in workshop of Italian craftsman Santi Gucci (†1599 or 1600), which settled and worked in Poland. Those were actually Italian craftsmen that brought a near-a-wall type of a tombstone to Poland, they developed it and transformed for local needs. Form of the tombstone of knight von Treskow was (as also tombstone of Juraj Šerédy in the same church) adjusted to a tomb - a type of sepulchral popular in Hungary. This work bares all signs of Santi Gucci and was created from his favorite material, pińczow limestone. Resemblance of Heinrich von Treskow figure with multiple male figures, created directly by Santi Gucci, from his workshop, or from his successors is evident.
The renaissance belfries in the Spiš region, which were built separately from their churches in V... more The renaissance belfries in the Spiš region, which were built separately from their churches in Vrbov, Strážky, Kežmarok, Podolínec, Spišská Sobota, Levoča, Spišská Belá and Poprad have preserved their medieval cores. The belfries in Poprad and Podolínec are often linked together, as they have a similar shape at the attic's ridge. They were both built at the end of the 1650s - the Poprad's belfry in 1658 and the one in Podolinec 1659. Today's late-renaissance belfry in poprad had an older predecessor which was rebuilt by the town's reeve Lucas Topperczer in 1592. An italian mason who settled in Kežmarok, Ulrich Maurer, designed the constructional amendments and a Slovak carpenter Bernhardt Miller from Podolínec worked on them. A secondary preserved inscription reveals that the belfry's construction works took place in the summer months of 1663. To be precise, the walls of the belfry were not decorated by one, but two identical inscriptions with chronostichon (a sentence, in which specific letters can be interpreted as Roman numerals), which also dated the belfry's late-ranaissance sgraffito decoration. The inscriptions confirm that the belfry was built from the foundations: posuit fundamina. The reconstruction of the no longer existing late-renaissance decoration with the sgraffito, as well as the analysis of the used motifs is complicated by sparse photo-documentation and only general mentions in literature. The photographs taken before the decoration's destruction in 1958 show that the sgraffito inscriptions of the figures depicted in shrines used to be all around the walls. The attic and arcade of the belfry were originally decorated by stylised, floral ornaments. The belfry corners were also decorated, originally by an illusive bossage, as was the wall at the sound outlets. According to the authors, who saw the sgraffito decoration before destruction, the semi-circular shrines contained figures of prophets and aposteles, evangelists and saints as well as allegoric figures of science and liberal arts (septem artes liberales). The allegories of liberal arts in the Poprad's belfry originated from the collection of copperplate reproductions of the same name, which were created by German graphic artist Georg Pencz. They were first printed about 1541. In the case of the Poprad's belfry, this is the last known sgraffito decoration of the renaissance spirit in the Spiš region, where one would likely assume the use of younger, maybe manneristic or even early-baroque graphic inspirations.
Actual status of preserved interior paintings in aristocratic Slovak residences ranks them into a... more Actual status of preserved interior paintings in aristocratic Slovak residences ranks them into a small group of a specific type of decoration. Its often fragmented state affects the possibility of its both detailed and general interpretation. Renaissance wall paintings and sgraffito at the Kežmarok Castle are regarded a unique example of the 17th century fine arts in Spiš region as well as in Slovakia. Renaissance reconstructions have left the largest footprint in the condition of the Kežmarok Castle. Documented reconstructions shortly before 1600, during Sebastián Thököly´s life, and around 1628, during Štefan I. Tekely (Thököly)´s life, are essential. At this time, the wall paintings, now only some fragments of which have
been preserved, were created. According to preserved painted parts with unique iconography and accompanying texts, it appears that these works were addressed to the general public (the castle held well known confessional disputes), as well as for the client’s own delight. Usage of the above mentioned subjected creative apparatus highlights the personality of the maecenas as a large-minded and educated humanist, responding to contemporary events, manifesting his religious feelings and world view tastily and with an emphasis on the means of expression. Figural paintings in the entrance tower represent the unique Slovak iconography. The scene depicting some dancing fools playing various musical instruments
accompanied by painted inscriptions (based on contemporary and older texts) corresponds to a well-known depiction of Dance macabre. Those high ideas are in slight contrast with average quality of paintings, showing only standard abilities of local craftsman, complying to basic requirements of client with emphasis on the theme and iconography more than virtuosity of creative work.
On the territory of northern Spiš, an exceptional collection of stone sepulchralia has been maint... more On the territory of northern Spiš, an exceptional collection of stone sepulchralia has been maintained, which in its character
is related to the Polish ethnicity, intensively penetrating and acting on Spiš especially after 1412, when part of Spiš came into Polish pledge. Of the locally preserved sepulchralia, a group of epitaphs was naturally connected to that from the end of the 16th and first half of the 17th century, which was dedicated to deceased burghers or priests, coming from Poland or Silesia, during which time we all of these specified products only in the border areas, most affected by Polish reign. These works were preserved specifically in two established cities, Stará Ľubovňa and Podolínec and in the village Nižné Ružbachy. All of the presented sepulchralia
contain a scene with a kneeling and praying deceased – alone or in the company of their family – under the Crucifixion. An inscription is located in the lower part. The language accompanying the inscriptions corresponds to the complicated,
multi-ethnic composition of the populace in northern Spiš. Although precisely the depiction of the deceased before the crucifix was one of the most common scenes, taken in the Renaissance still from medieval sepulchralia, in Spiš (but also in the surrounding regions) this scene was not a central among our discussed group of northern Spiš sepulchralia in stone. Also the collection of sepulchralia from Stará Ľubovňa is valuable. The municipal archive was affected by several disasters and many written sources have been lost forever. The examined sepulchralia are hence another source, the analysis of which allows us to approach the forgotten populace of the town and region. Sepulchralia from the 1st half of the 17th century is moreover related to the Recatholization initiative, begun after the accession of Sebastián Lubomírski to the post of Spiš mayor. From that time, the territory of northern Spiš,
specifically the newly created deaconate of Lubovnianska, was administered in the first place by the Polish Catholic clergy, until then by the bishopric of Krakow.
In the Church of the Archangel Michael in Markušovce an exceptional collection of sepulchral monu... more In the Church of the Archangel Michael in Markušovce an exceptional collection of sepulchral monuments has been preserved. They are remarkable not just because there are so many of them, at a number never before seen elsewhere in village churches in the Spiš region, but also for the information that they offer us as researchers. The church dates from the second half of the 13th century and since its origin served not just as the parish church but also as the estate church of the Markušovský branch of the Mariáši family (Máriássy, Markušovskí), which derived its predicate from the village that
was in its possession for centuries. This family was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Spiš region. The inscriptions on the sepulchral monuments were copied in the late 18th century by the Spiš historian Carolus Wagner and later by other researchers. Despite this, more in-depth research was never carried out and the study at hand is the first ever analysis and contextual evaluation. Epigraphic study helped to fill in some dynastic prosopographic information and identify who commissioned the sepulchral monuments and how they came into existence. The oldest surviving sepulchral monument was created before 1516, when Štefan VI Mariáši, who both commissioned and ultimately occupied it, died. Besides this, there are also seven surviving inscribed heraldic
tombs or epitaphs(?) and one tombstone with just the inscribed segment, part of which is still in its original location. The sepulchral monuments of Žigmund I, Pavel II, and František V Mariáši all suggest they were the work of a local,
domestic workshop. On top of this collection of surviving sepulchral monuments is knowledge of several no longer existing monuments that were used in burial rites and the related but today little known heraldic slabs that belonged to Lucie Čaholi, the wife of Štefan VI Mariáši, and the latter’s patrons Ján and Juraj Zápoľský and their mother Hedviga, a Tešín princess and the widow of the Palatine Štefan Zápoľski. A larger and more significant collection of sepulchral monuments in Spiš can be found in the town parish Church of St Jakub in Levoča and St Martin’s Cathedral in Spišská Kapitula, but these are different types of church artefacts used also for different functions as the Markušovský church.
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Papers by Zuzana Janošíková
The Bardejov tomb, which has not been yet identified, led to hypothesis about a possible German, Dutch or Waloon origin of the noble. The key to identification was the embossed family coat of arms, the study of which led the authors to eliminate any possibility of his being a Hungarian noble. The research proved that the coat of arms belonged to the German family of Treskow (Tresckow, Treszkow, Treschkow, Treskau) coming from Saxony. So far, there hes been no succes in finding a concrete person to identify with the Bardejov knight or the reason for his sojourn in the upper Šariš region (maybe it was military service for the emperor or some local magnate). The details of the sandstone tomb and a thorough analysis of the figure helped to identify the author of the work and his workshop - Santi Gucci, who came from Florence and worked in nearby polish Krakow since1557. The Bardejov renaissance tomb shows clear signs of his work and probably originated between 1580 and 1600.
The tombstone of Konrad Kappler is made of pink marble and was secondarily imbedded in the exterior of the Church of St. John the Babtist in Sabinov. This renaissance sculpture work is sporadically referred to in registers and monument documents, but the presentation is vague and insufficient despite its qualities. The authors identified the German text, where it is mainly the type of the writing which is epigraphically interesting and which is so far the only known example of the use of fracture on a sepulchre monument in this region. The tomb panel depicts a life-size figure of a knight in armour, with helmet on his head and standing astride the pedestal. He holds a spear with a flag in his right hand and the left one rests on his sword. There probably was a lion sculpture underneath his legs, which symbolized the Resurrection. A fully preserved coat of arms of Konrad Kappler can be found in the lower left corner.
The figural tombstone of Stefan Desöffy in black marble is imbedded in the southern nave´s wall of Sabinov´s Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. So far, the historians referred to it as a late-renaissance epitaph from the end of the 16th century. The noble, to whom the tombstone is dedicated, was successfully identified thanks to the inscription made in capital letters - it is Stefan Desöffy (1667-1742), a significant military captain and benefactor of Sabinov´s piarist college.
been preserved, were created. According to preserved painted parts with unique iconography and accompanying texts, it appears that these works were addressed to the general public (the castle held well known confessional disputes), as well as for the client’s own delight. Usage of the above mentioned subjected creative apparatus highlights the personality of the maecenas as a large-minded and educated humanist, responding to contemporary events, manifesting his religious feelings and world view tastily and with an emphasis on the means of expression. Figural paintings in the entrance tower represent the unique Slovak iconography. The scene depicting some dancing fools playing various musical instruments
accompanied by painted inscriptions (based on contemporary and older texts) corresponds to a well-known depiction of Dance macabre. Those high ideas are in slight contrast with average quality of paintings, showing only standard abilities of local craftsman, complying to basic requirements of client with emphasis on the theme and iconography more than virtuosity of creative work.
is related to the Polish ethnicity, intensively penetrating and acting on Spiš especially after 1412, when part of Spiš came into Polish pledge. Of the locally preserved sepulchralia, a group of epitaphs was naturally connected to that from the end of the 16th and first half of the 17th century, which was dedicated to deceased burghers or priests, coming from Poland or Silesia, during which time we all of these specified products only in the border areas, most affected by Polish reign. These works were preserved specifically in two established cities, Stará Ľubovňa and Podolínec and in the village Nižné Ružbachy. All of the presented sepulchralia
contain a scene with a kneeling and praying deceased – alone or in the company of their family – under the Crucifixion. An inscription is located in the lower part. The language accompanying the inscriptions corresponds to the complicated,
multi-ethnic composition of the populace in northern Spiš. Although precisely the depiction of the deceased before the crucifix was one of the most common scenes, taken in the Renaissance still from medieval sepulchralia, in Spiš (but also in the surrounding regions) this scene was not a central among our discussed group of northern Spiš sepulchralia in stone. Also the collection of sepulchralia from Stará Ľubovňa is valuable. The municipal archive was affected by several disasters and many written sources have been lost forever. The examined sepulchralia are hence another source, the analysis of which allows us to approach the forgotten populace of the town and region. Sepulchralia from the 1st half of the 17th century is moreover related to the Recatholization initiative, begun after the accession of Sebastián Lubomírski to the post of Spiš mayor. From that time, the territory of northern Spiš,
specifically the newly created deaconate of Lubovnianska, was administered in the first place by the Polish Catholic clergy, until then by the bishopric of Krakow.
was in its possession for centuries. This family was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Spiš region. The inscriptions on the sepulchral monuments were copied in the late 18th century by the Spiš historian Carolus Wagner and later by other researchers. Despite this, more in-depth research was never carried out and the study at hand is the first ever analysis and contextual evaluation. Epigraphic study helped to fill in some dynastic prosopographic information and identify who commissioned the sepulchral monuments and how they came into existence. The oldest surviving sepulchral monument was created before 1516, when Štefan VI Mariáši, who both commissioned and ultimately occupied it, died. Besides this, there are also seven surviving inscribed heraldic
tombs or epitaphs(?) and one tombstone with just the inscribed segment, part of which is still in its original location. The sepulchral monuments of Žigmund I, Pavel II, and František V Mariáši all suggest they were the work of a local,
domestic workshop. On top of this collection of surviving sepulchral monuments is knowledge of several no longer existing monuments that were used in burial rites and the related but today little known heraldic slabs that belonged to Lucie Čaholi, the wife of Štefan VI Mariáši, and the latter’s patrons Ján and Juraj Zápoľský and their mother Hedviga, a Tešín princess and the widow of the Palatine Štefan Zápoľski. A larger and more significant collection of sepulchral monuments in Spiš can be found in the town parish Church of St Jakub in Levoča and St Martin’s Cathedral in Spišská Kapitula, but these are different types of church artefacts used also for different functions as the Markušovský church.
The Bardejov tomb, which has not been yet identified, led to hypothesis about a possible German, Dutch or Waloon origin of the noble. The key to identification was the embossed family coat of arms, the study of which led the authors to eliminate any possibility of his being a Hungarian noble. The research proved that the coat of arms belonged to the German family of Treskow (Tresckow, Treszkow, Treschkow, Treskau) coming from Saxony. So far, there hes been no succes in finding a concrete person to identify with the Bardejov knight or the reason for his sojourn in the upper Šariš region (maybe it was military service for the emperor or some local magnate). The details of the sandstone tomb and a thorough analysis of the figure helped to identify the author of the work and his workshop - Santi Gucci, who came from Florence and worked in nearby polish Krakow since1557. The Bardejov renaissance tomb shows clear signs of his work and probably originated between 1580 and 1600.
The tombstone of Konrad Kappler is made of pink marble and was secondarily imbedded in the exterior of the Church of St. John the Babtist in Sabinov. This renaissance sculpture work is sporadically referred to in registers and monument documents, but the presentation is vague and insufficient despite its qualities. The authors identified the German text, where it is mainly the type of the writing which is epigraphically interesting and which is so far the only known example of the use of fracture on a sepulchre monument in this region. The tomb panel depicts a life-size figure of a knight in armour, with helmet on his head and standing astride the pedestal. He holds a spear with a flag in his right hand and the left one rests on his sword. There probably was a lion sculpture underneath his legs, which symbolized the Resurrection. A fully preserved coat of arms of Konrad Kappler can be found in the lower left corner.
The figural tombstone of Stefan Desöffy in black marble is imbedded in the southern nave´s wall of Sabinov´s Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. So far, the historians referred to it as a late-renaissance epitaph from the end of the 16th century. The noble, to whom the tombstone is dedicated, was successfully identified thanks to the inscription made in capital letters - it is Stefan Desöffy (1667-1742), a significant military captain and benefactor of Sabinov´s piarist college.
been preserved, were created. According to preserved painted parts with unique iconography and accompanying texts, it appears that these works were addressed to the general public (the castle held well known confessional disputes), as well as for the client’s own delight. Usage of the above mentioned subjected creative apparatus highlights the personality of the maecenas as a large-minded and educated humanist, responding to contemporary events, manifesting his religious feelings and world view tastily and with an emphasis on the means of expression. Figural paintings in the entrance tower represent the unique Slovak iconography. The scene depicting some dancing fools playing various musical instruments
accompanied by painted inscriptions (based on contemporary and older texts) corresponds to a well-known depiction of Dance macabre. Those high ideas are in slight contrast with average quality of paintings, showing only standard abilities of local craftsman, complying to basic requirements of client with emphasis on the theme and iconography more than virtuosity of creative work.
is related to the Polish ethnicity, intensively penetrating and acting on Spiš especially after 1412, when part of Spiš came into Polish pledge. Of the locally preserved sepulchralia, a group of epitaphs was naturally connected to that from the end of the 16th and first half of the 17th century, which was dedicated to deceased burghers or priests, coming from Poland or Silesia, during which time we all of these specified products only in the border areas, most affected by Polish reign. These works were preserved specifically in two established cities, Stará Ľubovňa and Podolínec and in the village Nižné Ružbachy. All of the presented sepulchralia
contain a scene with a kneeling and praying deceased – alone or in the company of their family – under the Crucifixion. An inscription is located in the lower part. The language accompanying the inscriptions corresponds to the complicated,
multi-ethnic composition of the populace in northern Spiš. Although precisely the depiction of the deceased before the crucifix was one of the most common scenes, taken in the Renaissance still from medieval sepulchralia, in Spiš (but also in the surrounding regions) this scene was not a central among our discussed group of northern Spiš sepulchralia in stone. Also the collection of sepulchralia from Stará Ľubovňa is valuable. The municipal archive was affected by several disasters and many written sources have been lost forever. The examined sepulchralia are hence another source, the analysis of which allows us to approach the forgotten populace of the town and region. Sepulchralia from the 1st half of the 17th century is moreover related to the Recatholization initiative, begun after the accession of Sebastián Lubomírski to the post of Spiš mayor. From that time, the territory of northern Spiš,
specifically the newly created deaconate of Lubovnianska, was administered in the first place by the Polish Catholic clergy, until then by the bishopric of Krakow.
was in its possession for centuries. This family was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Spiš region. The inscriptions on the sepulchral monuments were copied in the late 18th century by the Spiš historian Carolus Wagner and later by other researchers. Despite this, more in-depth research was never carried out and the study at hand is the first ever analysis and contextual evaluation. Epigraphic study helped to fill in some dynastic prosopographic information and identify who commissioned the sepulchral monuments and how they came into existence. The oldest surviving sepulchral monument was created before 1516, when Štefan VI Mariáši, who both commissioned and ultimately occupied it, died. Besides this, there are also seven surviving inscribed heraldic
tombs or epitaphs(?) and one tombstone with just the inscribed segment, part of which is still in its original location. The sepulchral monuments of Žigmund I, Pavel II, and František V Mariáši all suggest they were the work of a local,
domestic workshop. On top of this collection of surviving sepulchral monuments is knowledge of several no longer existing monuments that were used in burial rites and the related but today little known heraldic slabs that belonged to Lucie Čaholi, the wife of Štefan VI Mariáši, and the latter’s patrons Ján and Juraj Zápoľský and their mother Hedviga, a Tešín princess and the widow of the Palatine Štefan Zápoľski. A larger and more significant collection of sepulchral monuments in Spiš can be found in the town parish Church of St Jakub in Levoča and St Martin’s Cathedral in Spišská Kapitula, but these are different types of church artefacts used also for different functions as the Markušovský church.