Holy Hungarian Rulers on Medieval Wall-Painting in the Diocese of Zagreb

Članak se bavi srednjovjekovnim zidnim slikama povezanim s kultom ugarskih svetih vladara, izgubljenim prizorom iz sakristije Zagrebačke katedrale i fragmentarno sačuvanim ciklusom o kralju Ladislavu u kapeli sv. Petra u Novom Mjestu. Podatak o izgubljenim zidnim slikama iz sakristije Zagrebačke katedrale, s prikazom sv. Stjepana, sv. Ladislava i sv. Emerika, razmotrili smo u kontekstu prikaza ugarskih svetih vladara kao posebne ikonografske teme, pri čemu se izgubljeni zagrebački prizor pokazuje kao vjerojatno jedan od najranijih primjera.Establishing of the cult of Hungarian holy rulers of the Árpád dynasty may be followed since the foundation of the Diocese of Zagreb (1091–1095) and dedication of the cathedral of newly erected episcopal see to St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary, who was canonised about ten years earlier (1083), together with his son Duke Emeric and some other Hungarian saints. The article deals with medieval mural paintings connected to the cult of the Holy Rulers of Hungary, with the now lost depiction from the Sacristy of Zagreb Cathedral and fragmentary preserved fresco cycle on King Ladislas in the Chapel of St. Peter in Novo Mjesto near Sveti Ivan Zelina. The testimony on lost mural paintings in the Sacristy of Zagreb Cathedral, with depictions of Holy Rulers of Hungary – St. Stephen, St. Ladislas and St. Emeric, was discussed within the context of the depictions of Hungarian Holy Rulers as a special iconographic theme in the research of Dragoş Gh. Năstăsoiu, with the remark that the now lost depiction from Zagreb is most probably one of the earliest representations of this theme. Another type of iconographic content is connected with veneration of Hungarian holy rulers is the cycle of Ladislas’ legend, which is here presented on the example of fragmentary preserved cycle of mural paintings in the Chapel of St. Peter in Novo Mjesto. Mural paintings in the sacristy of the cathedral and Chapel of St. Peter in Novo Mjesto are examples of political propaganda of the dynasties of the Árpáds and the Angevins. The success of such propaganda may be traced from the veneration of Hungarian holy rulers in folk traditions and legends to the longlasting tradition of depiction of Hungarian holy rulers within the artistic equipment of the Zagreb Cathedral