The Painting of saints Apollonia, Blaise and Anthony the Abbot from the Treasury of Convent of Saint Mary in Zadar. Display of Three Patron Saints of the Oro-Facial Region

摘要

The aim of this paper was to describe the painting of St. Anthony the Abbot in Glory, St. Blaise and St. Apollonia in historical medical/dental context. The painting belongs to the Benedictine Convent of St. Mary in Zadar, Croatia. St. Apollonia is worshipped as the patron saint of dentists and dentistry, protecting the teeth. St. Blaise is the patron saint of throat, mouth and cervico-facial region and worshipped as the patron saint by the ear, nose and throat specialists and maxillofacial surgeons, while St. Anthony the Abbot protects from the diseases of skin and mucosa, especially those caused by herpes virus. This oil on canvas was painted in baroque style in the early seventeenth century. It is interesting because it shows the three patron saints of the oro-facial region together. Furthermore, this painting witnesses the permanent presence of the cult of worshipping the patron saints of teeth, mouth and throat in Zadar, Croatia, and witnesses the existence of the parallel ways of providing the medical/dental care, both “scientific” and theurgic. This paper adds to the historical/dental heritage of Croatia, and shows that research of the sacral artistic heritage can add to the information about healthcare situation in a particular period.