Plague Column, Maribor

The Plague Column stands in Maribor’s Main Square, a white-marble monument raised in 1743 to replace the original 1681 pillar. It was the first major work in the city by the German sculptor Joseph Straub and remains his most monumental piece. The column honours the Virgin Mary crowned with twelve stars, set on a Corinthian shaft above a richly carved pedestal. Around its base six saints look outwards: Francis of Assisi, Sebastian, James, Anthony of Padua, Roch and Francis Xavier. A low ornamental stone fence now encircles the monument. The column was erected by grateful townspeople after the 1680 plague had taken a third of Maribor’s population. It is counted among the finest examples of Baroque art in Slovenia. The Virgin’s pose on the moon refers to the twelfth chapter of Revelation. Each saint was chosen because local people prayed to them for protection during the epidemic. The marble gleams white against the square’s dark cobblestones. Visitors find the column rising above the pavement, its gilded figures catching the light. The Corinthian capital and ornate pedestal show fine Baroque detail. Six life-size saints stand around the base, each turned slightly outward as if watching the square. The ornamental fence keeps the space clear while allowing a close view. Above, the crowned Virgin looks down over the city’s centre. The monument remains a quiet focal point for the square.