There is always moments that are worth of sore feet and aching legs. To summarize a few on our trip so far:
1. The roof of Duomo in Milano. Milano’s cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and it is massive indeed. From inside, it is just another Gothic church – just with a bit bigger columns. But when you get to the roof of it, that is heaven. Am not talking about any religious experience of mine, but I just cant help myself of thinking about all the craftsmen who dedicated their lives – sometimes literally – to build these massive and beautiful monuments. On the roof, you can easily see all the lace of marble carvings and statues, all the delicate details and skill of the craftsmanship and sculpting. In 14th century, those were not meant to be shown to mortal eyes. That was their best gift to give on a hope of afterlife.
2. Castello Sforzesco in Milano. Paintings and other stuff is naturally interesting, but somehow the biggest experience was the museum of musical instruments. We were lucky to be present just when an expert was testing the claviercembalos. (Oh, it seems to be harpsichord in English – i learned a new word…) Baroque music somehow brought the castle alive and it felt like there would have been shadowy figures dancing in the corners of eyes. Maybe there were.
3. Verona. Shakespeare obviously never went to Verona but he managed to got at least something right: there is lots of larks singing. Juliet’s “tomb” is situated in the old Capuchin convent outside the town walls. The empty and open sarcophagus itself is quite unimpressive. The garden outside, on the other hand, has some sort of authentic feeling of lost love and sorrow with its mossed statues and cypresses. Larks singing, and the misty mountain tops in horizon.
Says Romeo:
“It was the lark, the herald of the morn,
No nightingale: look, love, what envious streaks
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east:
Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
I must be gone and live, or stay and die.”
-Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (act 3 scene 5)
4. Scrovegni Chapel in Padova. Giotto, my Giotto. Giotto’s paintings on the chapel inside walls was one of my absolute favourites in art history classes. Getting in the chapel was an hard task – seems to be protected as well as crown jewels. No wonder, the simple chapel is like a box of jewels from inside. It is unbelievable to imagine how people had felt in 1305 to see these paintings – they had used to see static Byzantine and Gothic paintings of humans, not this flesh and blood with gestures and feelings on their face. The tears rolling down of the mothers’ face, the gossiping people around Josef and Mary on their way, astonishment of the shepherds… And everything absolutely 3-dimensional, especially the clothes which you could almost touch. From where he got the idea of paint like this? No one did that before and not even after him for almost 200 years. Beats me. Amazing guy.
But enough art, am gonna go to drink some wine. Hippies have stolen my husband to the kitchen, God knows what bacchanals they are having there… with Will Smith movie.
Maiku
