Abstract

In the post-Cistercian Abbey in Ląd-on-Warta a unique monument testifying to the commemoration of the deceased brothers and, at the same time, illustrating the historical tradition of Cistercian Abbeys in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, namely Tabula Memorialis, has been preserved till our times. and feature the abbreviations: RR. PP. VV. Fr. (Reverendi Patres Venerendi Fra-tres) accompanied by the Latin name of a respective Cistercian Abbey. The Abbeys come in the fol-lowing order: 1. Ląd, 2. Jędrzejów, 3. Wągrowiec, 4. Oliwa, 5. Sulejów, 6. Wąchock, 7. Koprzywnica, 8. Mogiła, 9. Obra, 10. Paradyż, 11. Szczyrzyc, 12. Koronowo, 13. Bledzew, 14. Pelplin. The squares in each row are covered with a wooden lid that can be pulled out showing a pair of vanitative emblems painted against a cinnabar background. Each representation is accompanied by a banderole with a commentary. Tabula Memorialis was made in ca. 1745 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Ląd Abbey foundation. Its composition presents two content layers: a didactic one dedicated to the reflection on death (meditatio mortis, ars moriendi), and the historical one: presenting the foundation of 14 Cistercian Abbeys in the Polish Cistercian
Province and promoting Ląd as the oldest one among them in Poland. Tabula Memorialis served for the ceremony of absolution of the dead during their collective recollection conducted in the chapter house.