Papers (Apotropaic Marks and Graffiti) by Antonia Vodanović
Naracije straha, 2019
This work analyses apotropaic graffiti carved in the front door jambs and lintels of houses erect... more This work analyses apotropaic graffiti carved in the front door jambs and lintels of houses erected in Šibenik during 14.-18. centuries. These are mostly graffiti representing crosses of different typologies, although other types occur, such as the christogram IHS, Mary’s monogram SMV, letter M(aria) used to invoke Virgin Mary along with akin abbreviations like V(irgo) M(aria) and A(ve) M(aria), invocation of saints by the first letter in their naming and finally textual apotropaic graffiti. Moreover, an example of a graffiti depicting a sailboat carved in the door jamb of a house was attested and it may have served as an invocation for the protection of seamen.
Copious Latin Medieval inscriptions carved on the lintels accompanied by the cross indicate that crosses were carved for the protection from “enemies” in the form of Satan, demons, etc.
Additionally, data gathered from the historical and ethnographic literature indicate that apotropaic symbols were often placed in liminal zones (front doors, windows, chimney, roof, corners of the house) with the purpose of keeping away the witches and other supernatural beings. Some places were believed to be the gatherings of dark forces, hence, more intensive apotropaic practices were performed there. Two such locations were attested inside the medieval city core of Šibenik, in which an above-average number of apotropaic graffiti occurs.
Sacralization of Landscape and Sacred Places: Proceedings of the 3rd International Scientific Conference of Mediaeval Archaeology, 2018
Numerous old stone houses, economic facilities and road junctions featuring carved or engraved cr... more Numerous old stone houses, economic facilities and road junctions featuring carved or engraved crosses were documented during a
field survey in Podgora village in Makarska littoral. The types of crosses vary greatly. In some cases the crosses are executed individually
while in other cases they are accompanied by other crosses or symbols. The most common positions where the crosses are depicted
include corners, the area right above the step leading to the house entrance, the area around the door and the doorframe. The purpose
of this paper is to interpret these symbols and attempt to explain the rationality behind their carving. Two sources of information are
utilized in our research: the available information from scholarly literature and oral information provided by local population. Based on
the available information, the symbols can be interpreted as acts of vernacular piety, house consecration or house protection. The acts
of symbol carving can be related to past beliefs in supernatural beings and phenomena. Such interpretation is additionally supported
by the position of the carvings: the symbols are placed at positions representing dangerous ‘’liminal zones’’ – the areas between the
known and the unknown, rational and irrational and safe and dangerous places.
U ovom radu bavim se interpretacijom i kontekstualizacijom prakse uklesavanja Kristovog monograma... more U ovom radu bavim se interpretacijom i kontekstualizacijom prakse uklesavanja Kristovog monograma IHS na ulazne portale šibenskih kuća u razdoblju od 15. do 18. stoljeća. Praksu sagledavam unutar antropološkog koncepta liminalnosti (van Gennep, Turner) i stavljam je u okvire povijesti mentaliteta i straha. Naime, ulazna kućna vrata često su mjesto postavljanja zaštitnih ritualnih oznaka i izvođenja praksi koje imaju apotropejsku ulogu. Takvim praksama nastojao se spriječiti prelazak granice kućnoga praga svim onim nepoželjnim bićima i pojavama koje predstavljaju strah. Iako ovaj trajno materijaliziran znak na arhitektonskim zdanjima predstavlja jedan manji segment bavljenja poviješću graditeljstva, on se ne može proučavati bez interdisciplinarnog pristupa koji uključuje etnološka i folkloristička znanja.
Papers by Antonia Vodanović
Ljetopis Grada Velike Gorice, 2023
Makarsko primorje 11, 2022
U radu se donose podaci o položaju prvotne župne crkve Svih Svetih u Podgori. Također, obrađena j... more U radu se donose podaci o položaju prvotne župne crkve Svih Svetih u Podgori. Također, obrađena je figuralna arhitektonska dekoracija za koju se temeljem arhivskih podataka, te stilske i strukturalne analize pretpostavlja da joj je pripadala. Komparativnom, stilskom i morfološkom analizom figuralne dekoracije dokazuje se da je djelo istoga majstora, odnosno domaće klesarske radionice djelatne u 17. stoljeću. Predaja prema kojoj su Turci uništili dvije crkve Svih Svetih u Podgori razmatra se kroz teorijsko-metodološki okvir ''Drugosti'', te se odbacuje kao neutemeljena i kontradiktorna postojećim arhivskim podacima.
Makarsko primorje 11, 2022
U radu se analiziraju nadgrobni spomenici od 17.-19. stoljeća na groblju Sv. Tekle u Podgori. Gro... more U radu se analiziraju nadgrobni spomenici od 17.-19. stoljeća na groblju Sv. Tekle u Podgori. Grobnice su podijeljene prema različitim identitetskim odrednicama kao što su dob, plemenska pripadnost, pripadnost lokalnoj zajednici, pripadnost udruženju, vjerskoj skupini i sl. Tako su primjerice u 19. stoljeću dječje grobnice bile odvojene od odraslih, dok su one za odrasle bile podijeljene na plemenske/obiteljske i grobnice za strance. Identitetsko određenje kod pokapanja jasno se očituje i kod svećeničkih grobnica gdje se pokapaju samo osobe istog spola i poziva, ali i kod bratimskih grobnica namijenjenih pokapanju osoba i članova njihovih obitelji koje su tijekom života pripadali nekoj od bratovština. Ipak, treba reći da su pogrebne prakse bile fluidne, a ne fiksne, te da unatoč jasnim identitetskim podjelama postoje iznimke kod pokapanja.
Ante Rožić i Makarsko primorje, 2019
U radu se nadopunjuju biografski podaci o liječniku Luigiju Tonoliju koji je 1815. u Makarskoj li... more U radu se nadopunjuju biografski podaci o liječniku Luigiju Tonoliju koji je 1815. u Makarskoj liječio oboljele od kuge. Pažnja se posebno usmjerava na kasnobaroknu palaču u kojoj je L. Tonoli živio tijekom svog boravka u Makarskoj, a čija se izgradnja u dosadašnjoj literaturi dovodila u vezu s njim. Iznose se novi podaci o izvornom izgledu palače, te njenom arhitektonskom razvoju od 18. stoljeća do danas, čime se prvotna pripadnost ladanjsko-gospodarskog sklopa veže uz plemićku obitelji Ivičević.
U radu se osvrćemo na palaču obitelji Ivanišević u Makarskoj, uz pojedine korekcije i nadopune, t... more U radu se osvrćemo na palaču obitelji Ivanišević u Makarskoj, uz pojedine korekcije i nadopune, te detaljniju arhitektonsku analizu. Također, prvi se put iznose podaci o drugoj gradskoj palači ove obitelji u Makarskoj i uništenom obiteljskom ljetnikovcu u Podgori. Majstoru Tomasu Miraglii iz Apulije pripisuje se izrada bunarske krune s grbom biskupa Stjepana Blaškovića, danas smještena u vrtu franjevačkog samostana u Makarskoj.
Conference Poster by Antonia Vodanović
The Podglogovik abandoned shepherds settlement on the Biokovo mountain consist of ruined drywall ... more The Podglogovik abandoned shepherds settlement on the Biokovo mountain consist of ruined drywall houses inhabited on the seasonal basis, during summer pastures. The dwellings were built mostly during 19th and at the beginning of 20th century and they commonly housed both humans and animals. The village was being abandoned gradually, throughout the 20th century, when the inhabitants ceased to practice transhumant livestock raising.
The main goal of our research is to shed light on the connection between vernacular beliefs and spatial practices. Various research methods from different disciplines were deployed, including ethnology, archaeology and history. Such interdisciplinary research utilises different but nevertheless related labels such as archaeology of folk religion, archaeology of folklore, archaeology of ritual and magic.
The first order of business in our project was to conduct a field survey in the village area. The aim was to locate the positions of carved graffiti. Each item was then mapped in order to analyse their spatial distribution. Finally, the graffiti were documented and photographed and their measurements taken. Oral histories were documented using several informants. The information provided was utilized in the interpretation of gathered data. Comparative examples of cross carving, along with other practices known from published historical and ethnographic record, were used to supplement our research.
The subject of our research is the perception of Roman religious monuments in 18th century Makars... more The subject of our research is the perception of Roman religious monuments in 18th century Makarska region, Dalmatia, Croatia. Based on the available data, the aim of our project is to elucidate how various social groups, separated by relations of power and knowledge, were positioned regarding roman heritage.
Assuming that the identity is socially constructed, two basic discursive communities can be discerned. The first such community is the elite – wealthy aristocratic families, highly positioned in the social relations of knowledge and power. They are also highly influential in the social hierarchy pertaining to their functions as various church and political dignitaries. This group has the highest education the period can provide, they are in possession of large house libraries and some of them received their PhDs at the opposite side of the Adriatic coast. Their worldview and particularly a sense of past is built upon the available scholarly literature.
The second socially constructed discursive community consists of financially and otherwise disempowered peasants, lacking in (formal) education. Here we can assume that knowledge is transmitted orally, from generation to generation, unlike the formal knowledge of university institutions. Precisely the knowledge and the mode of transmitting that knowledge are crucial in the relationship formed towards the Roman religious monuments.
Conference Presentations by Antonia Vodanović
Exhibition catalogue by Antonia Vodanović
Kultura stanovanja u Velikoj Gorici (1945. - 1990.), 2021
Izbor iz fundusa: 40 godina Galerije Galženica (1980. -2020.), 2020
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Papers (Apotropaic Marks and Graffiti) by Antonia Vodanović
Copious Latin Medieval inscriptions carved on the lintels accompanied by the cross indicate that crosses were carved for the protection from “enemies” in the form of Satan, demons, etc.
Additionally, data gathered from the historical and ethnographic literature indicate that apotropaic symbols were often placed in liminal zones (front doors, windows, chimney, roof, corners of the house) with the purpose of keeping away the witches and other supernatural beings. Some places were believed to be the gatherings of dark forces, hence, more intensive apotropaic practices were performed there. Two such locations were attested inside the medieval city core of Šibenik, in which an above-average number of apotropaic graffiti occurs.
field survey in Podgora village in Makarska littoral. The types of crosses vary greatly. In some cases the crosses are executed individually
while in other cases they are accompanied by other crosses or symbols. The most common positions where the crosses are depicted
include corners, the area right above the step leading to the house entrance, the area around the door and the doorframe. The purpose
of this paper is to interpret these symbols and attempt to explain the rationality behind their carving. Two sources of information are
utilized in our research: the available information from scholarly literature and oral information provided by local population. Based on
the available information, the symbols can be interpreted as acts of vernacular piety, house consecration or house protection. The acts
of symbol carving can be related to past beliefs in supernatural beings and phenomena. Such interpretation is additionally supported
by the position of the carvings: the symbols are placed at positions representing dangerous ‘’liminal zones’’ – the areas between the
known and the unknown, rational and irrational and safe and dangerous places.
Papers by Antonia Vodanović
Conference Poster by Antonia Vodanović
The main goal of our research is to shed light on the connection between vernacular beliefs and spatial practices. Various research methods from different disciplines were deployed, including ethnology, archaeology and history. Such interdisciplinary research utilises different but nevertheless related labels such as archaeology of folk religion, archaeology of folklore, archaeology of ritual and magic.
The first order of business in our project was to conduct a field survey in the village area. The aim was to locate the positions of carved graffiti. Each item was then mapped in order to analyse their spatial distribution. Finally, the graffiti were documented and photographed and their measurements taken. Oral histories were documented using several informants. The information provided was utilized in the interpretation of gathered data. Comparative examples of cross carving, along with other practices known from published historical and ethnographic record, were used to supplement our research.
Assuming that the identity is socially constructed, two basic discursive communities can be discerned. The first such community is the elite – wealthy aristocratic families, highly positioned in the social relations of knowledge and power. They are also highly influential in the social hierarchy pertaining to their functions as various church and political dignitaries. This group has the highest education the period can provide, they are in possession of large house libraries and some of them received their PhDs at the opposite side of the Adriatic coast. Their worldview and particularly a sense of past is built upon the available scholarly literature.
The second socially constructed discursive community consists of financially and otherwise disempowered peasants, lacking in (formal) education. Here we can assume that knowledge is transmitted orally, from generation to generation, unlike the formal knowledge of university institutions. Precisely the knowledge and the mode of transmitting that knowledge are crucial in the relationship formed towards the Roman religious monuments.
Conference Presentations by Antonia Vodanović
Exhibition catalogue by Antonia Vodanović
Copious Latin Medieval inscriptions carved on the lintels accompanied by the cross indicate that crosses were carved for the protection from “enemies” in the form of Satan, demons, etc.
Additionally, data gathered from the historical and ethnographic literature indicate that apotropaic symbols were often placed in liminal zones (front doors, windows, chimney, roof, corners of the house) with the purpose of keeping away the witches and other supernatural beings. Some places were believed to be the gatherings of dark forces, hence, more intensive apotropaic practices were performed there. Two such locations were attested inside the medieval city core of Šibenik, in which an above-average number of apotropaic graffiti occurs.
field survey in Podgora village in Makarska littoral. The types of crosses vary greatly. In some cases the crosses are executed individually
while in other cases they are accompanied by other crosses or symbols. The most common positions where the crosses are depicted
include corners, the area right above the step leading to the house entrance, the area around the door and the doorframe. The purpose
of this paper is to interpret these symbols and attempt to explain the rationality behind their carving. Two sources of information are
utilized in our research: the available information from scholarly literature and oral information provided by local population. Based on
the available information, the symbols can be interpreted as acts of vernacular piety, house consecration or house protection. The acts
of symbol carving can be related to past beliefs in supernatural beings and phenomena. Such interpretation is additionally supported
by the position of the carvings: the symbols are placed at positions representing dangerous ‘’liminal zones’’ – the areas between the
known and the unknown, rational and irrational and safe and dangerous places.
The main goal of our research is to shed light on the connection between vernacular beliefs and spatial practices. Various research methods from different disciplines were deployed, including ethnology, archaeology and history. Such interdisciplinary research utilises different but nevertheless related labels such as archaeology of folk religion, archaeology of folklore, archaeology of ritual and magic.
The first order of business in our project was to conduct a field survey in the village area. The aim was to locate the positions of carved graffiti. Each item was then mapped in order to analyse their spatial distribution. Finally, the graffiti were documented and photographed and their measurements taken. Oral histories were documented using several informants. The information provided was utilized in the interpretation of gathered data. Comparative examples of cross carving, along with other practices known from published historical and ethnographic record, were used to supplement our research.
Assuming that the identity is socially constructed, two basic discursive communities can be discerned. The first such community is the elite – wealthy aristocratic families, highly positioned in the social relations of knowledge and power. They are also highly influential in the social hierarchy pertaining to their functions as various church and political dignitaries. This group has the highest education the period can provide, they are in possession of large house libraries and some of them received their PhDs at the opposite side of the Adriatic coast. Their worldview and particularly a sense of past is built upon the available scholarly literature.
The second socially constructed discursive community consists of financially and otherwise disempowered peasants, lacking in (formal) education. Here we can assume that knowledge is transmitted orally, from generation to generation, unlike the formal knowledge of university institutions. Precisely the knowledge and the mode of transmitting that knowledge are crucial in the relationship formed towards the Roman religious monuments.
Na izložbi je prikazano 17 arhitektonskih i urbanističkih realizacija: Župna crkva Uznesenja Marijina u Podgori (1968.), Župna crkva Bezgrešnog Začeća u Drašnicama (1971. - 1976.), Plažni restoran Punta Rata u Brelima (1981.), Plažni objekt Sutikla u Podgori (1986.), Institut „Planina i more'' u Makarskoj (1978.), Dom zdravlja u Makarskoj (1978.), Pošta u Makarskoj (1977.), TV odašiljač na Biokovo na vrhu Sv. Jure (1965.), Turistički centar u Brelima (1970.), Hotel „Maestral“ u Brelima (1965.), Hotel „Berulia“ u Brelima (1971.), Odmaralište „Novi Sad“ u Igranama (1973.), Hotel „Biokovo“ u Makarskoj (1979.), Hotel „Meteor“ u Makarskoj (1973.), Kuća obitelji Rožić u Bratušu (1970-ih i 80-ih), šetalište – riva u Makarskoj (1983.) i uređenje obalnog pojasa u Podgori (1984.).
Institute of Art History – Cvito Fisković Centre Split
with the Zlatna vrata Centre for Culture and Lifelong
Learning, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences of the University of Split
(Institute of Art History – Cvito Fisković Centre Split, Kružićeva 7)
(Zlatna Vrata Cinematheque, Dioklecijanova 7)
(Centre Studia Mediterranea: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
of the University of Split; Poljana kraljice Jelene 1/III)
21st-24th November 2018