Jurassic red nodular limestone from NE Slovakia used as the Ľubovňa “marble” during the Renaissance in Slovakia and Poland

Abstract

The Ľubovňa “marble” is red nodular limestone of Oxfordian to Tithonian age, which used to be extracted in several quarries near the town of Stará Ľubovňa in NE Slovakia. It replaced the Hungarian Gerecse “marble” which was extensively used in the Kingdom of Hungary and surrounding countries from the end of the 12th to the first third of the 16th century when its use was interrupted by the Turkish occupation of the area. The Ľubovňa “marble” was used as a substitution especially for Renaissance tombstones in today’s Slovakia and Poland and it was found also in Hungary. It reached the top of its popularity between the mid-16th and mid-17th century. To a smaller extent it was still used in the surrounding territories during the other styles in the 18th and 19th centuries. The “marble” production was probably affected by the political situation and wars. It is possible to distinguish the Ľubovňa “marble” from the Gerecse “marble” and the Adnet “marble” from Austria macroscopically on the basis of its distinct cleavage, and microscopically on the basis of microfacies with Saccocoma, Globuligerina and calcareous dinoflagellates. According to the stable isotopes of ¹⁸O and ¹³C, it is approximately similar to the Adnet “marble”.