Style of the Former Augustinian church of St Jerome in Rijeka: A Contribution to the Research of Stylistic Pluralism in 18th-Century Sacral Architecture

Abstract

Recent intense research into the 18th-century monumental heritage of Rijeka has resulted in crucial new findings that bring fresh insight into the artistic activity in the city. Based on these results, it is now possible to carry out a stylistic analysis of Rijeka’s 18th-century architecture and offer new interpretations. Especially significant is the former Augustinian church of St Jerome, which the newly discovered documents have confirmed as the work of the most important sculptor in the city, Antonio Michelazzi (Gradišće na Soča, 1707 – Rijeka, 1771). The Baroque renovation of the Gothic church, carried out in 1768, is a combination of several styles of different origins and from different local traditions, which reflects the stylistic pluralism characteristic of the late 18th century. This combination of styles and influences is a logical consequence of Rijeka’s geographic position at the intersection of different artistic currents: Mediterranean, or Venetian, and Central European, which are also evident in the Augustinian church. The author presents the Baroque renovation of the church in the broader context of adapting medieval architecture to the Baroque taste, a widespread phenomenon in the Mediterranean and Central Europe during the 18th century.