Close observation

In drawing class we went to the Civic Museum and wandered the cloister walk and Etruscan and Roman artifacts that were once the collection of a wealthy Viterbese.  It's a small collection but I find these sarcophagi so beautiful and mesmerizing... the faces from so long ago.  And now they are here, faces and bodies, lounging in a peaceful and quiet setting for years and years to come, I would imagine.

Drawing stone is an exercise in noticing the nuances of shading that both make form and suggest form.  You really have to concentrate on the light, where it's hitting the sculpture, and how the shades have multiple tones.  This is what I looked at for an hour:

 And this is the product of that close examination:

It's not bad.  Justin told me to stop before I overdid it.... so I did.  And I moved on to more fascinating objets of glory:

I'm currently working on this fabulous thing.......
There are some wonderful things in this tiny museum.  There is a room of old apothecary jars:

And then some paintings procured from various churches:

And the Civic museum itself was once a monastery and is a thing of beauty in itself.  There is nonstop beauty here in Italy.  That is just the way it is.

Surprises!

You may think that after two summers spent in Viterbo that I would have seen everything.  But no.  Today on an early morning walk I discovered this, a junk yard full of gorgeous whatsits, old bits of marble tracery, stone columns, parts of old fountains and statuary, bits of dried up Etruscans for god's sake!  And it's in a junk yard of antichi.  Just sitting there waiting for me to buy the lot.

And if that's not enough, this little church, San Marco, has always been closed.  But today it was open!  A 12th century Cistercian church, a wee gem, a stark and austere love shack for God.

I was honored to be able to climb the steps and peer inside at the beauty.

The main apse has a large painting and some still-vivid frescoes.

And another unique confessional.

It's actually built into the walls, though probably not part of the original plan.  I like the idea of entering the wall though as you are confessing your sin of eating boxes of chocolates you bought in Rome for friends.  Oops.  Well.  I am hoping I can replace them at the Duty Free on my way out.
Ciao ragazzi!

Orvieto: Who knew?

The cobblestones are literally modern, dating from the mid-18th century, but standing in the piazza del duomo is an occasion to look UP at the amazing mosaic facade of the Orvieto cathedral:

And I'll tell you, it is remarkable what you learn from a guide book!  Orvieto is a very special place... lovely medieval town, tangled streets, gorgeous shopping and food, cheery locals, Classico wine, AND the Body of Christ.  And when you visit the side chapel devoted to the MIRACLE of the body of Christ you will stand in awe as you gaze upon exquisite art that tells the story of the transubstantiation.  Pope Urban IV gave the orders to build this incredible church in order to provide a suitable home for a bloodstained cloth.  This is the relic that pilgrims have visited for centuries!  It is known as the Corporal of Bolsena.  In 1263 in the nearby town of Bolsena, a traveling priest was pondering the validity of transubstantiation.  When during mass he found that the Host was bleeding onto the altar cloth!  He was stunned and so were the people he displayed it to.  The frescoes tell the whole story:

Now the bloodstained cloth is housed in the Chapel de Corporal when it isn't touring.  BUT, the interesting thing is that this miracle initiated the Feast of the Corpus Christi.  On the first weekend of June, which corresponded with our visit.  We were having a lovely Umbrian dinner when the town procession went by on its way to the Duomo:

V V neat!!

Close to the Heavens in Assisi

Assisi is one of those places where you just feel close to something wonderful and awesome.  Is it the sky?  The sky is certainly close, it seems, and filled with clouds that shape-shift and dance about.  The sun beats down on you but when the clouds drift over it seems like a performance of the Divine.

What is this amazing place that, like so many Italian cities, is built in layers.  Layers upon layers of time, architecture, beliefs, the dead and the living.  It's picturesque no matter where you look.  It's significant no matter where you look.  Etruscan first, the Romans came in and built on top.  Look at this very impressive 1st century Roman temple to Minerva that was transformed into a church during the Middle Ages.  It's huge!

But above all, Assisi is known as the birth place and home of St Francis and St Clare, both reformers of the Catholic Church in their own way.  'Francesco' as he was called, was born into a well-off family.  His father was a successful cloth merchant and his mother a high born French woman.  When he was a young man, he did his duty and went off to war when Assisi was fighting the armies of Perugia.  He had a rough time, was captured, imprisoned and essentially shell shocked.  He returned to home a broken man.  After being in a coma of sorts for weeks, one day he awoke a new man.. in love with nature, animals and simplicity.  In his wanderings around Assisi, he enjoyed visiting a broken down church, St Damiano.  According to legend, one day the crucifix spoke to him, "Francis, rebuild my church."  Meant to be understood literally and figuratively.  Rebuild St Damiano AND rebuild the Church, which had fallen into corruption.

The Basilica is massive and can be seen from quite a distance because of its whiteness!  The upper and lower basilicas are filled with work by masters, Giotto being one of them.  NO photos inside though.  Trust me.... they're BEAUTY!

Here are some other rules:  Silence! no cell phones!  no dogs!  and don't even TRY to get in half naked!
Fabulous!!!

The Richness of Viterbo

My fascination with confessionals continues with these models discovered today:

This one is in the Chiesa da Santa Rosa and it's surprisingly dreadful.  It looks like an over-sized stereo system from the late 70s.  The doors are all a tinted plastic so you can see who is in there. Who needs that kind of transparency?  You half expect to hear some old LPs playing, like Styx, or Kansas, or Bachman Turner Overdrive.  Not for me.

This one, in the Chiesa de S. Francisco, is like a little cabana of Love.  Sweet little roof line.  Roman arch doorway where "The Priest is IN", some IHS action, and side access where the penitent parks down on her knees to ponder her sins.

This one, in SS Trinitas, has a Baroque groove and is very much to my liking.  I am interested in the visuals and the speaking 'grill' that the confessing soul has to look at.  Here's one:

What kinds of exchanges happened here over all the years?  Hmmmmm.....
I had to leave an intention, a prayer, and a photo at the feet of Mary:

Lastly, nuns singing and a viewing of Santa Rosa:

To Trick the Eye

This morning we strolled around Viterbo and tucked into two fascinating churches, Santa Maria Nuova and San Giovani.  I think you all need a lecture on trompe l'oeil.  So here you go.  There will be a quiz:

Okay, no excuses.  Answer the following question:
The artist was able to achieve maximum depth of perception because he lined up the south side of the nave using which point of reference?
A.  Aligning himself with the eastern corner
B.  Turning his perspective toward the outermost whatsit
C.  Helping himself to an extra portion of cacio e pepe
D.  Helping a little Italian woman cross the street
E.  Saying an extra Hail Mary

Clearly it's fabulous.

And I love this cross shaped confessional:

The penitent is literally melding into the cross, which is a potent symbol of cleansing, purification, sacrifice and renewal.  V v wonderful.  And as you speak to the priest, telling him your innermost thoughts and feelings, you stare at this grill and wonder.....

or maybe you ponder.... what is for lunch? 

Impossible Causes?

Nothing is impossible for a girl who is willing to 'own it' wearing trousers like these.  Who run the world?  Girls.
I am now settled in Viterbo and I'm sorry for being off the grid for a few days.  The internet access was impossible in Florence so I had to just back away.  But now Victoria and I have begun to settle in to the Italian life.  Slow down and chill out.  Drink strong coffee.  Have wine at lunch.  Eat gorgeous food.  Shop for little treasures AND.....
attend the service at Santa Trinitas for Saint Rita of Cascia.  Saint Rita is so loved around Italy that many cities just claim her as theirs.  Why?  Perche?  Because she is the patron saint of lost causes.  And lost causes are something Italy knows quite a bit about.  Look at the entire 20th century and just choose an example.  Rita was born near Spoleto.  She was a devoted wife even though her husband was abusive.  She never lost her faith with him though.  And then she got lucky... because he died.  And that was fabulous.  She then joined an Augustinian convent which she thought was a wonderful life. She spent most of her widowed life in a convent.  According to the legend, once when she was very ill she asked her cousin to bring her a rose from her old home garden.  She asked this in January, so of course, roses in January.... the impossible.  But when her cousin went to look they was a single rose. Because of that, Rita is celebrated with roses.  We went to the church, bought roses, and then joined the congregation in getting them blessed by the priest.

She was up against an impossible act of reformation, that of her husband, and she kept trying.  Again, fortunately he was murdered.  So.....  lost causes.  She's your girl.
And in terms of getting lost.... who wouldn't want to get lost in lovely Viterbo?

Perched up in the Lair of Stardom once more, looking out on to BEAUTY!!

Is this property for sale?  Hmmmmm................