Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

1. Statue on a column.
   (click on the photo for an enlargement.)
   
   1
   1. Maria Annunciation

2. Small square base. On the four corners of the large base stand four statues:
   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

   2

   3

   4

   5

   2. The Guardian Angel of Glatz (Kłodzko)
   3. Święty Florian / Saint Florian
      (d. c. 304), commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum, responsible for organizing firefighting brigades. Martyred because is did not want to sacrifice to Roman gods. He is usually depicted as a Roman officer pouring water from a pitcher over a fire (Wikipedia).
   4. Święty Józef / Saint Joseph
      the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ (in distinction to God, his "heavenly father") (Wikipedia).
   5. Archanioł Gabriel / Archangel Gabriel
      (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, 'God is my strength'), archangel who serves as a messenger to humans from God (Wikipedia).

3. Large base which encloses a statue
   (click on the photo for an enlargement.)
   
   6
   6. Święta Rozalia / Saint Rosalia, she is visible through gitters.
      (1130-1166), also called La Santuzza or "The Little Saint", revered as a protector against infectious diseases (Wikipedia).

4. The whole is surrounded by a stone balustrade with statues on the four corners.
   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

   7

   8

   9

   10

   7. Święty Franciszek Ksawery / Saint Francis Xavier
      (Javier, Navarra 1506 - São João Island, China, 1552), pioneering Roman Catholic missionary, co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Wikipedia).
   8. Święty Sebastian / Saint Sebastian
      (died c. 288), martyr, killed during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians (Wikipedia).
   9. Święty Roch / Saint Roch
      (14th century), saint from Montpellier, he is specially invoked against the plague. (Wikipedia).
   10. Święty Karol Boromeusz / Saint Charles Borromeo
       (Italian: Carlo Borromeo) (1538 - 1584), cardinal, worked during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church (Wikipedia).

Inscription(s)

The corners of the faces of the large base are formed by the pedestal of the statue above it. On the sides are two texts, some with paintings, referring to the statue above it. On the front side is also a main gitter with the statue of St. Rosalia and a text behind it.

In the niche with the statue of Saint Rosalia:

On each side of the balustrade are three panels, those at the corners are on the pedestal of the statue and refer to the statue. The other panel are paintings of St. Mary with her appropriate title - the front side has the entrance in the center with a panel to each side.

Annotation

The upper part, Mary, the angels and Joseph and Florian refer to the fire. Mary is not depicted with Jesus in her arms, as usual on St. Mary Column, because of the date of the fire, the sculptor depicted Mary Annunciation.

The lower part of the monument to the plague.

Marian, Holy Trinity and Plague Columns (Mariensäule, Dreifaltigkeitssäule, Pestsäule)

Sculptor

• Hans Adam Beyerhoff.

Sources & Information

• Joachim Berke, Erinnerungen an Glatz, 2008 (partly on Google Books).
• Grafschaft Glatz, Kunst.

Tags

Locatie (N 50°26'19" - E 16°39'14") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Your banner here? Click for information.