By: Zoran Turk (for English, scroll)
Iako im se danas mnogi posjetitelji dive kao prekrasnim ukrasima na zidovima skromnih crkvica, temeljna zadaća istarskih srednjovjekovnih freski nije bila uljepšavanje prostora, nego prenošenje poruka. One su bile knjiga za nepismene i slika (kršćanskog) svjetonazora, želja i strahova ljudi onoga vremena. Kad je primjerice kmet iz Berma ušao u crkvicu sv. Marije na Škrilinah, njemu nije bio potreban ikonografski vodič da savršeno jasno razumije svaki detalj koji je majstor naslikao. Premda ih se danas, zbog njihove nepismenosti, često predstavlja kao primitivan i priprost puk, oni su pismo svog vremena razumjeli jednako dobro kao što mi danas razumijemo svoje, a poznavanje latinice ili glagoljice je za mnoge od njih bilo jednako nepotrebno kao što je za mnoge od nas nepotrebno poznavanje računalnih programskih jezika (vjerojatno će budućnost i na nas gledati kao na primitivce). Također, posebnost istarskih freski je i u tome što je većina njih nastala upravo na inicijativu naroda.
Strah od smrti univerzalan je i vjerojatno bismo ga i danas iskazivali kroz zidne crtkarije svaki put kad nakon guglanja simptoma pomislimo da bolujemo od neizlječive bolesti. Ne treba stoga čuditi što su se smrti bojali i ljudi u vrijeme kad se umiralo puno češće i ranije nego danas. Već na prvim freskama slikanima za pučke naručitelje (vjerojatno Butoniga, 15. stoljeće) nalazimo motiv smrti – kosca. On se posebice širio nakon 1348. i strašne kuge. Iako je od nje štitilo više svetaca, Butonižani su iz kataloga izabrali svetog Antuna Opata.
Govoreći o pučkoj pobožnosti u Istri, ne možemo preskočiti Kastav. U tom je gradiću bila slikarska radionica koju je u drugoj polovici 15. stoljeća vodio izvjesni Vincent. Skromni majstor vjerojatno nije ni sanjao da će se u 21. stoljeću naći u popularnom vodiču kroz povijest svakodnevice, no upravo je on ostavio najdublji trag u istarskom freskoslikarstvu. Od njegova nas ciklusa još i danas prolaze trnci! Do bajkovitog ambijenta crkve s Vincentovim freskama dolazi se uskom cesticom iz Berma. Sama je crkvica smještena u šumarku, čuvajući ulaz na lokalno groblje. Budući da su se srednjovjekovni Beramci maksimalno nastojali zaštititi od smrti i njenih uzroka, na zidovima crkve sv. Marije na Škrilinah poput Avengersa stoje sv. Florijan, zaštitnik od požara, sv. Ivan Apostol, zaštitnik od zmijskog otrova (vjerojatno bi „uskočio“ i u slučaju ugriza crne udovice), zatim sveti Sebastijan, zaštitnik od kužnih bolesti, a konačno i sveta Apolonija, jamkinja zdrava i lijepa osmijeha (zubara se bojimo i danas, pa možemo misliti kako je to izgledalo nekad, kad je jedini lijek za zubobolju bilo vađenje zuba, a jedino pomagalo kliješta…)
Veliko nevrijeme, kakvo u Istri nije nepoznanica, za seljaka može značiti život, odnosno smrt. Neophodno je dakle zaštititi se svetom Barbarom! Mislili su Beramci i na svoj ženski podmladak, pa su dali naslikati i sv. Uršulu, sa zadaćom da štiti djevojke od nesreće i(li) krivih odluka. Za slučaj da se ipak dogodi da štogod krivo odluče ili učine, Beramci su se osigurali prikazom svetog Leonarda, zaštitnika zatvorenika.
Osim Vincenta, po Istri je šarao i Anton iz Padove. Iako mu je ime zvučno, nije riječ o Anti sa sličice iz novčanika, nego o momku iz Kašćerge koja se u pojedinim dokumentima naziva i villa Padova. Kako bilo, Anton je ostao upamćen po ciklusu iz Draguća. Zaštitnik tamošnje crkve je sv. Rok, dakle i ondje se naveliko strahovalo od kužnih bolesti. Da pomogne Roku, za svaki su slučaj naslikali i Sebastijana, specijaliziranog za istu zadaću, a vodeći se onom da od viška glava ne boli, na zidu se našao i ex voto (zavjetni znak) protiv kuge. Radi zaštite od bolesti i kašlja kod onih najmlađih, svoje je mjesto našao i sveti Blaž, a razumije se, i sveta Apolonija (jer zubi su se rado kvarili i u Draguću).
Dok pojedini sveci imaju vrlu preciznu ulogu, druge se koristi kao lupocet, zazivanjem za sve i svašta. Obično su to vojnici, božji ratnici poput svetog Mihovila, Martina, ili Jurja koji je u vrijeme križarskih ratova iz poljoprivrednika unaprijeđen u elitnog viteza koji ubija zmaja. Univerzalnom zaštitnicom može se smatrati i sv. Margareta – zaštitnica seljaka. Istarski su seljaci mukotrpno radili i živjeli na isti način stoljećima. Pritom je u nekim krajevima bilo osobito teško. Krenemo li od Berma, Lindara i Pazina prema Učki, putem kojim su majstor Vincent ili njegov nasljednik Ivan putovali, dospjet ćemo u jedan od takvih predjela. Još krajem 19. stoljeća, jedan stanovnik kraja uz Čepićko jezero (danas Čepićko polje) opisuje luksuz u kojem živi:
„U mojoj kući nemam ni svjetla ni ulja, ni ogledala, ni češlja, nemam ni križa, ni škrinja, ni papira ni nalivpero, ali ni tintu za pisanje, kao ni stolicu da bih sjeo; nema ni kreveta za spavanje, ni čaše za piće, nemam čak ni tanjura, iz kojeg se može jesti; ni stol, na kojem bih jeo, ali ni viljušku, s kojom bih mogao jesti; nemam ni noža za rezanje, ni žlicu kojom se može srkati, kao ni kutljaču kojom bih vadio, nemam ni pokrivača, kojim bih se pokrio, ni plahte kojom bih presvukao krevet, ali ni strunjaču, na koju bih mogao leći.“[1]
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Modern-day visitors are often prone to admiring medieval frescoes in Istria as beautiful decorations on the walls of quaint churches. However, their basic task was not to enhance the interior, but to send a message. They were the illiterate man’s books, and the picture of a (Christian) worldview, the desires and fears of an age. When, for example, a bondsman from Beram entered the Church of Saint Mary of the Rocks (Sveta Marija na Škrilinah), he didn’t need an iconographic guide to perfectly understand each detail drawn by the master. Although, due to illiteracy, these people are often portrayed as primitive and simple, they were as well-versed in their script as we are in our own. The knowledge of Latin or Glagolitic script was equally useless to them as the knowledge of computer programming languages is to us. (We will probably be considered primitive in the future as well.) Another peculiarity of Istrian frescoes is that most of them were created at the public initiative.
The fear of death is universal, and we’d probably show it by painting the walls whenever Googling our symptoms convinced us we suffered from an incurable disease. We should not be surprised, therefore, that death scared people at a time when it occurred with greater frequency and at an earlier age than today. The motif of death as the Grim Reaper has been discovered on the oldest frescoes painted at the commission of commoners (probably in Butoniga, in the 15th century). It became particularly prevalent after the horrific plague of 1348. Although several patron saints used to be called upon as protection against the plague, the people of Butoniga picked Saint Antony the Abbot from the catalogue.
Speaking of popular piety in Istria, we must mention Kastav. It was this little town which housed the workshop of a certain Vincent during the second half of the 15th century. The humble master probably never dreamed he’d be a part of a popular 21-century guide through the history of everyday life. However, he was the one to leave the deepest mark on the art of fresco painting in Istria. His artistic cycle still makes our hairs stand on end! The fairy-tale atmosphere of the church with Vincent’s frescoes can be reached by a narrow road from Beram. The church itself is located in a grove and guards the entrance to the local cemetery. Since the medieval Beram population gave their best to protect themselves from death and its causes, the walls of St Mary of the Rocks are decorated with a throng of saints, reminiscent of the Avengers. There is Saint Florian, guarding against fire; Saint John the Apostle, helping with snake poison (he would probably “step in” in the case of a black widow bite, too); Saint Sebastian, dealing with pestilence; and, last but not least, Saint Apollonia, who vouched for a pretty and healthy smile. (Considering how much we fear the dentist today, imagine what it must have been like at a time when the only cure for toothache was to take the tooth out, and a pair of tongs the only tools available!)
A severe thunderstorm, not infrequent in Istria, could be an issue of life or death for a farmer. It was therefore essential to be protected by Saint Barbara. The Beram folk also cared for their female offspring, and had Saint Ursula painted, with the task of guarding over their girls so they would not suffer from an accident or a bad decision. In case anyone decided or did something untoward, they also made sure to paint Saint Leonard, the patron saint of prisoners and inmates.
Along with Vincent, a certain Antony of Padua also drew around Istria. If his name sounds peculiar, let us reassure you he wasn’t the Antony to whose image one prayed, but a fellow from Kašćerga, which some documents also mention as Villa Padua. Antony is famous for his Draguć cycle. The patron saint of this church is Saint Rocco, which means people greatly feared the plague there as well. As an aid to Rocco, they also had Sebastian painted, who specialized in the same task. Probably because you can never have too much of a good thing, there is also an ex voto (a votive drawing) against the plague on the wall. As protection against the youngest ones coming down with an illness or a cough, a place was allotted to Saint Blaise, as well as to Saint Apollonia (since teeth tended to ache in Draguć, too).
And while some saints have a very precise role to play, others are used as Tylenol, and summoned for a whole array of ills. These are usually soldiers, God’s warriors like Saints Michael, Martin or George – the latter having been promoted during the Crusades, from a farmer to an elite knight with dragon-slaying tendencies. Another universal patron is Saint Margaret, who watches over peasants. Istrian folk suffered arduous drudgery and severe life conditions for centuries. Some parts were more challenging than others. We arrive to such regions if we take the road from Beram, Lindar or Pazin to Učka, the very same Master Vincent or his successor John took. A local from the vicinity of the Čepić Lake (nowadays the Čepić Field) describes the luxury in which he lives, as late as the 19th century,
“In my house there is no light or oil, no mirror, no comb, no crucifix or a chest, no paper or pen, but also no ink, and no chair to sit down on; there is no bed to sleep in, no glass to drink from, not even a plate to eat from; there is no desk to eat at, but also no fork to eat with; I have no knife to cut anything, no spoon to slurp from, or a ladle to pour things; I have no blanket to cover myself, and no sheet to cover my bed, but also no mattress to lie down on.” [1]
[1] Saša Dmitrović, Bitne i spomena vrijedne činjenice o Učki, 2010, p 5
[1] Saša Dmitrović, Bitne i spomena vrijedne činjenice o Učki, 5.
