Danse of death. Hrastovlje. Fresco in the Holy Trinity Church, Slovenia. 1490.
Danse of death. Hrastovlje. Fresco in the Holy Trinity Church, Slovenia. 1490.
Death was so present in day-to-day life that in many paintings it appears dancing among the people showing its happiness.
The dance of death, Painting by Bernt Notke
In Barcelona there is a church named Sant Just. In 2012, they found a grave, and it’s estimated that there are 360 or 400 bodies of people from the 14th century, who died by the Black Death within a period of 24 hours and 5 days.
The Black Death arrived in Barcelona in 1348, through the port due to merchants and travelers who were sick.
Like all the Medieval cities, Barcelona had narrow streets plenty of dirt and rubbish. With this environment the Black Death advanced very quickly.
At times, Alcover became a refuge for people that runned away from the plague, such as in the months of July and August 1419.
The Black Death left its mark not only in art but also in popular culture. In the case of Catalonia, we have living traditions such as the 'Dansa de la Mort' in towns like Verges or La Selva del Camp.
These are dances that remind us that death always comes for everyone. These dances have their origins in the Middle Ages and in the plagues. Death dances in the same way as in these paintings.
For the last two years, in Alcover we have had the Ball de la Mort, which can be seen at Easter. Different people represent different professions with symbolic pieces in their hands and death dances among them, to remind them that it will always come to everyone.