Corona in the Museum!

Corona is not just a virus! The eponymous Saint was, according to legend, martyred for her faith around 170 in Damascus or Antioch after defending a Christian member of the Roman army, St. Victor. The National Museum comprehensively documents the analogy of the Saint’s name and coronavirus, placing it in the context of past pandemics and the way people dealt with them. The exhibition illustrates the cult of St. Corona, showing preparations of infectious diseases and a number of protective aids against them, such as swallowing images.

In the past, our country was plagued by a number of diseases, whether of viral or bacterial origin, against which there was no effective and safe cure until the discovery of vaccinations and antibiotics. At a time when faith was the fundamental framework of thought, people believed that these diseases were a punishment inflicted by God, and seeking reconciliation with God was one of the necessary conditions for healing. It was also believed that God developed a cure for every disease on Earth. It was the mission of medicine to find this cure.

A number of saints, patrons against the plague, national patrons and personal protectors were to intercede with God on behalf of mankind. Folk faith offered a wide range of amulets and protective devices, often peculiar from today’s perspective. Bearing witness to the common struggle of faith and the then emerging medical science against diseases, these artefacts complete the exhibition Corona in the museum!

Over the centuries, St. Corona was “appropriated” by various individuals or groups. Perhaps because of the way she was tortured, torn apart between two palm trees, she became the patroness saint of lumberjacks and butchers. Powerful rulers also showed interest in her. Emperor Otto III had her remains transported to Aachen, and Charles IV allegedly brought her relics to Bohemia. It might have been the connection between her name and the crown (corona in Latin) as a symbol of majesty that caught their attention. In the 18th and 19th centuries, she was known in our country primarily as a helper for treasure hunters, lottery players and, in general, people looking for a way out of financial difficulties. This is also how she was depicted in a relief by Vojtěch Eduard Šaff, Das Korona Gebet, which is among the exhibits. Shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, she was chosen as the protector of believers against the new plague, probably due to her name.