UC Santa Cruz

This research takes as case study the church of the Madonna dei Bagni near Deruta, Italy, where a tradition of painted maiolica ex-votos began in the mid-seventeenth century and continues to be significant to the local area today. The concept of ex-votos is introduced, looking at different popular materials used in early modern Italy before turning to a closer reading of votive painting. Attention is centered on the case of the Madonna dei Bagni, highlighting the unique elements of this particular tradition. Another chapter focuses on the materiality of maiolica, as local meaning, knowledge, and different value aspects are embedded into these ex-votos beyond their iconographic and surface attributes. A subsequent chapter expands the concept of materiality to a broader understanding of Christian materiality, in particular the Virgin Mary and how she creates sacred space. These ideas are linked to the miraculous image of the Madonna and Child between the branches of the oak tree at the church’s main altar. A further discussion addresses the role of maiolica ex-votos in the Madonna dei Bagni. Ramifications and implications of display and memory are examined, looking at how ex-votos contribute to the creation and meaning of sacred space and collective memory. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that the ex-votos in this church work together to create not only sacred space, but also sacred-time-space. Conclusions address more broadly how this particular case shapes academic understanding of contemporary devotional practices in Roman Catholicism.