When I first think of Italy, the Vatican and the Pope do not immediately come to mind. It is a fact, however, that the most prominent religion here is Catholicism. Many Italians attend church every Sunday and are strong believers. I myself am not religious, and when I mentioned this to Nonno’s cousin, he was shocked. I was petting the family dog at the time, and he exclaimed, “How can you love the animals God created but not love God?”
The sanctity of churches is also taken very seriously. My friends and I were visiting the Duomo about a week ago but failed to consider whether or not our attire was appropriate. All of us were wearing shorts and tank tops as a result of the scorching heat. We discovered when we arrived that knees and shoulders must be covered inside of churches, and we were all handed turquoise felt ponchos reminiscent of hospital gowns.
We had the same problem with the church of San Francesco in Assisi last weekend, except no cover-ups were provided. We had to improvise with sweaters and scarves tied around our waists. Inside the church, silence had to be maintained at all times. Sometimes the whispers within the crowd grew to an audible murmur, and (somewhat counterproductively) a voice would noisily demand “Silenzio” over a loudspeaker. What a job, to sit in a church all day and tell people to be quiet. We also were not allowed to take pictures.
Regardless of one’s faith, however, one can appreciate the art and architecture that religion in Italy has inspired over the centuries. The Duomo is a masterpiece of design, with soaring ceilings and an innovative dome. Paintings and statues abound within. The church of San Francesco is even more impressive on the inside. It is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and has an upper and a lower church. First we went down into the crypt, where St. Francis was buried. Tourists circled the tomb, some touching and kissing the stones. Next was the lower church, filled by the eerie chanting of a congregation. Pre-Renaissance frescoes by Cimabue, Lorenzetti, Simone Martini, and Giotto covered every wall as well as the ceiling. A cycle of Christ’s life is especially famous, but the life of St. Martin and Mary Magdalene were also depicted in painstaking detail with jewel-like colors. The upper church contained less well-preserved frescoes of the life of St. Francis. The artists had decided to experiment with fresco a secco — applying the pigment onto the wall while it is dry, which is less resilient. As a result, all of the frescoes were missing sections, but the overall effect was still magnificent.
Read Kari’s previous post | Read Kari’s next post | Meet the rest of our study abroad bloggers