Another amazing day in this city that astounds me at every turn. Though pretty hard to navigate, with roads that meander this way and that, Mrs. Kinahan and I walk everywhere (likely about ten miles a day) often off course, but eventually arrive at our planned destination. Today we left our hotel at 9:30am and returned at 11pm. There is just too much to see and do!
Today, our focus was the Vatican which includes several other VERY important religious and historical sites. Once we figured out how to best tour these places, we made great friends with our guide named Roberto, who wowed us with his ability to show us the most special and tremendous areas of a hugely impressive religious mecca.
In this blog, I'll just focus on some of the most meaningful and interesting stories. It seems to me, that everything historical in Rome has a story within a story within a story. I think this is part of the reason this city is so intriguing. There are layers of history everywhere. We walk out of our hotel each day and pass by the ruins of ancient times - columns and arches and the remains of major buildings and old neighborhoods. Right next to these ruins, we might stop for coffee or eat at an outdoor cafe. Apartment buildings and restaurants are built all around and through these preserved areas so that I am almost starting to feel the normality of this mix of modern and ancient cultures. It is beautiful - I hope you all have the chance to come here someday.
So...St. Peter's Basilica. It is an enormously impressive place. Just to look at it from the street will take your breath away. The structure is not without symbolic value. In the image below, you'll see an arial view of the entire complex including the square in front.
If you can, try to imagine this square being designed in order to show the people who visit that they are being welcomed by the arms of a mother. This can be seen in the curved placement of the many columns placed around the church itself. When some Romans began embracing the ideals of Christianity, it was hard for others to change from worshipping the mythological gods/goddesses of the past, like Athena, Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon. When the people of Rome decided to embrace the idea of Christianity on a larger level, Saint Peter's Basilica and its square became a major place for the people to come and pray. A man named Bernini designed the square using 284 doric columns, topped with the statues of 140 saints.
In the middle of the square, there is an obelisk that was taken from Egypt to honor the traditions of the religion that began in the country we learned so much about this past year. The Christians placed a cross at its top to demonstrate their understanding of how religions build upon one another, borrowing ideas and traditions along the way. Much of how the Romans think about the creation of man lends itself to stories from both Egyptian and Greek mythology.
But, someone I really want to make sure I write about today is a man named Michelangelo who was, according to many, the most genius artist ever to live. Though Michelangelo considered himself primarily a sculptor and had the most intense passion for this type of artwork, he was recognized for his overall brilliance and aptitude as a artist and was asked to paint the ceiling of a chapel attached to St. Peter's called The Sistine Chapel. At first, Michelangelo refused. First of all, he didn't really see himself as a painter and second of all, he didn't want to have to follow the rules the church might impose on him for how the ceiling should look. But based on his incredible talent, the church allowed him free reign to carry out the project however he desired.
So...for four years he lay on his back on scaffolding he engineered himself, working on a giant fresco that would ultimately show religious scenes beginning at the time of the birth of Jesus. The most famous and moving of which is a piece where god and man reach towards each other, almost touching.
This particular scene is aimed at representing the moment god first gave life to man. In third grade we talked about all sorts of creation stories, The Egyptian myth of how man was born out of chaos and water. In Greece, how the gods created the first man, Prometheus, from clay. In the story of Christianity, God gives life to man an woman. Michelangelo shows this gift of life through the reaching of fingertips that almost touch, If you look closely, you can sense the tension between their fingers. This was Michelangelo's gift. His art speaks. It almost seems to move before your eyes. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel. You aren't allowed to talk either. So, the picture above is not one from my own camera. When I set foot in the chapel, I was immediately moved to tears, so I don't think I would have been much of a photographer anyway. Look closely at this picture and see how it makes you feel. I think it is powerful. Can you guess which hand is intended to belong to god and which hand might belong to man?
Aside from being fascinated with the quality of Michelangelo's work, it is difficult not be be fascinated by his determination. This past year, we talked a lot about GRIT. I think Michelangelo showed a tremendous amount of grit. Over the course of four years, he hung from the scaffolding of this chapel on his back working on frescoes that would eventually cover the entire area. When he raised himself up to work in the morning, he brought food and a chamber pot so that he wouldn't have to come back down until his work was done for the day. Frescoes are challenging to make for many reasons, but if you can imagine him lying underneath the wet plaster he'd be painting on, it was likely that dust, paint, and plaster were constantly dripping into his eyes. Also, if a portion of the scene did not come out as desired, he would have to scrape off the entire area of plaster and start again. Michelangelo didn't give up until he was finished and every inch of the Sistine Chapel represented his own personal masterpiece.
Pretty amazing!
Ciao for now,
Mrs. B.
Today, our focus was the Vatican which includes several other VERY important religious and historical sites. Once we figured out how to best tour these places, we made great friends with our guide named Roberto, who wowed us with his ability to show us the most special and tremendous areas of a hugely impressive religious mecca.
In this blog, I'll just focus on some of the most meaningful and interesting stories. It seems to me, that everything historical in Rome has a story within a story within a story. I think this is part of the reason this city is so intriguing. There are layers of history everywhere. We walk out of our hotel each day and pass by the ruins of ancient times - columns and arches and the remains of major buildings and old neighborhoods. Right next to these ruins, we might stop for coffee or eat at an outdoor cafe. Apartment buildings and restaurants are built all around and through these preserved areas so that I am almost starting to feel the normality of this mix of modern and ancient cultures. It is beautiful - I hope you all have the chance to come here someday.
So...St. Peter's Basilica. It is an enormously impressive place. Just to look at it from the street will take your breath away. The structure is not without symbolic value. In the image below, you'll see an arial view of the entire complex including the square in front.
If you can, try to imagine this square being designed in order to show the people who visit that they are being welcomed by the arms of a mother. This can be seen in the curved placement of the many columns placed around the church itself. When some Romans began embracing the ideals of Christianity, it was hard for others to change from worshipping the mythological gods/goddesses of the past, like Athena, Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon. When the people of Rome decided to embrace the idea of Christianity on a larger level, Saint Peter's Basilica and its square became a major place for the people to come and pray. A man named Bernini designed the square using 284 doric columns, topped with the statues of 140 saints.
In the middle of the square, there is an obelisk that was taken from Egypt to honor the traditions of the religion that began in the country we learned so much about this past year. The Christians placed a cross at its top to demonstrate their understanding of how religions build upon one another, borrowing ideas and traditions along the way. Much of how the Romans think about the creation of man lends itself to stories from both Egyptian and Greek mythology.
But, someone I really want to make sure I write about today is a man named Michelangelo who was, according to many, the most genius artist ever to live. Though Michelangelo considered himself primarily a sculptor and had the most intense passion for this type of artwork, he was recognized for his overall brilliance and aptitude as a artist and was asked to paint the ceiling of a chapel attached to St. Peter's called The Sistine Chapel. At first, Michelangelo refused. First of all, he didn't really see himself as a painter and second of all, he didn't want to have to follow the rules the church might impose on him for how the ceiling should look. But based on his incredible talent, the church allowed him free reign to carry out the project however he desired.
So...for four years he lay on his back on scaffolding he engineered himself, working on a giant fresco that would ultimately show religious scenes beginning at the time of the birth of Jesus. The most famous and moving of which is a piece where god and man reach towards each other, almost touching.
This particular scene is aimed at representing the moment god first gave life to man. In third grade we talked about all sorts of creation stories, The Egyptian myth of how man was born out of chaos and water. In Greece, how the gods created the first man, Prometheus, from clay. In the story of Christianity, God gives life to man an woman. Michelangelo shows this gift of life through the reaching of fingertips that almost touch, If you look closely, you can sense the tension between their fingers. This was Michelangelo's gift. His art speaks. It almost seems to move before your eyes. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel. You aren't allowed to talk either. So, the picture above is not one from my own camera. When I set foot in the chapel, I was immediately moved to tears, so I don't think I would have been much of a photographer anyway. Look closely at this picture and see how it makes you feel. I think it is powerful. Can you guess which hand is intended to belong to god and which hand might belong to man?
Aside from being fascinated with the quality of Michelangelo's work, it is difficult not be be fascinated by his determination. This past year, we talked a lot about GRIT. I think Michelangelo showed a tremendous amount of grit. Over the course of four years, he hung from the scaffolding of this chapel on his back working on frescoes that would eventually cover the entire area. When he raised himself up to work in the morning, he brought food and a chamber pot so that he wouldn't have to come back down until his work was done for the day. Frescoes are challenging to make for many reasons, but if you can imagine him lying underneath the wet plaster he'd be painting on, it was likely that dust, paint, and plaster were constantly dripping into his eyes. Also, if a portion of the scene did not come out as desired, he would have to scrape off the entire area of plaster and start again. Michelangelo didn't give up until he was finished and every inch of the Sistine Chapel represented his own personal masterpiece.
Pretty amazing!
Ciao for now,
Mrs. B.
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