Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Sculptor's Joy and Pain - from 11/9/10
“From such a gentle thing, from such a fountain of all delight, my every pain is born.”
- Michelangelo
Gentle and reverently compassionate, Michelangelo’s gaze casts a shadow of love and sweet passion combined with a knowing and solemn expression over his last Pietà. Perhaps the most powerful piece I have seen so far, this sculpture is my favorite. This Pietà is composed of four figures: Mary and Mary Magdalene supporting the dead, crucified body of Jesus, with Nicodemus above, who bears the likeness of Michelangelo himself. It is the last sculpture Michelangelo worked on and is one of his non finito, or unfinished pieces, because he died before it was completed. I have been longing to see it and finally had the chance this weekend when I returned to Florence and visited the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
Part of the reason the sculpture is so powerful and emotional is because of the time in his life that Michelangelo carved it. He was an old man growing older, and the knowledge of his approaching death was only made increasingly aware to him as he chiseled away at the marble block that was to become his tombstone. At points he was also extremely frustrated with the less-than-perfect marble and, pushed to the edge, beat it with a hammer, doing significant damage. Later, one of his apprentices tried to repair the damage but there are still very visible cracks on Christ’s arm and leg, reminding viewers of the physical effort required to carve marble and the difficulties this posed for an aging sculptor.
As soon as my eyes met Michelangelo’s in Nicodemus’ face, I was drawn in and must have stayed in the little room the Pietà inhabits for half an hour. It was one of those times that some invisible force maintains silence and forbids you to speak. I felt as if words would interfere with the reverent scene and, even if I wanted to speak, nothing I could think of to say could remotely compete with the profundity of what each of the figures were saying with their eyes and faces and still movements.
At first I thought it strange that Michelangelo would choose to include Nicodemus in the scene and that he would carve in him his own face. However, information in the museum explained this a little, suggesting that Michelangelo chose Nicodemus because both had a conversion experience later in life. In the Bible, Nicodemus was a Jewish Pharisee who came to Jesus one night. In their conversation, Jesus told him that he needed to be “born again” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was understandably confused, asking “How can someone be born when they are old?...Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4). However, Jesus explained this second birth is of the Spirit, a new eternal life given to those who believe in Jesus. This spiritual birth is something both Nicodemus and Michelangelo seem to share, and this comparison adds even more depth to a piece that is already an incredibly personal reflection.
I don’t know if I will ever get tired of looking at this Pietà, even though the intimate interactions between all of the figures almost make me feel like an intruder. There is something about Michelangelo’s expression—passion and grave knowledge, a tender compassion and acceptance—as he looks down on the death of Christ and anticipates his own death, that intrigues and mystifies me.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
From 11/2/10
On Saturday, several other girls and I were sitting in our favorite caffè. We sipped foamy cappuccinos, which we enjoyed almost as much as the dramatic scene taking place outside—an Italian conversation. It is true—watching Italians talk together is watching every emotion surge through the air, being tossed back and forth by swift hand movements. Hand gestures are as much a part of the Italian language as transitive verbs and the many uses of fare are. As we watched the group of Italians outside, their speech, facial expressions, and gestures were so animated that it made no difference that the glass between us prohibited sound waves—their body language was loud enough to compensate for the silence.
One thing I have acquired a taste for, besides prosciutto and EstaThè (the most delicious peach iced tea), is people-watching. It’s not just the lively Italian conversations I find appealing, but the restful quiet of sitting near the street, soaking up the town until it becomes a part of you. I have spent many afternoons at Gerasmo’s doing exactly that. Gerasmo’s is the best caffè in Sansepolcro, partly because it is directly across the street from our palazzo, but mainly because it is owned by Fabrizio and Sonia. They also have the most heavenly bomboloni (Italian doughnuts), but I think that is because Fabrizio and Sonia’s sweetness rubs off on the pastries. Friendliness makes everything taste better. They always talk with us when we come in, know all of our names, and they even sang happy birthday to Molly yesterday. It is nice to know people and to have faces to recognize, even when you are in a different country.
One of the things I love most about Sansepolcro is the closeness of the town. The fact that I can see several people I know walk down the street while I sit at Gerasmo’s sipping my cappuccino is charming. I also love that the town itself is small. From my bedroom window I can look down at the street and see Gerasmo’s, two pizzerias, and a gelateria. Everywhere I go I pass a friendly face or familiar place. Living in a small town has allowed us to truly become a part of the Sansepolcran community. Throughout our stay here, there have been many things that encouraged us to immerse ourselves into our community. First, we participated in the Balestra festival, an important tradition that we were blessed to be a part of. We also routinely have local guests for lunch, and we teach English in local schools.
This weekend, we had what seemed to be every Sansepolcro resident in our palazzo for a children’s Halloween party. Perhaps we shouldn’t have invited 200 elementary school students, because although the actual number of attendees was far below that, our modest dining room and lounge areas were bursting at the seams. But despite being crowded, it was a huge success. We spent most of the day beforehand doing Halloween grocery shopping and making decorations out of whatever materials we could find. By the time we finished, the palazzo was completely decked-out. There were spider webs on every window and door, orange balloons hanging from the lampshades, paper bats fluttering in the hallway, festive table cloths, a skeleton in the corner, and even a path of paper pumpkins, bats and ghosts from the front door leading up the stairs to the lounge.
When the children began to trickle in—or, more realistically, pour in—we had many activities planned to keep them busy. We had coloring, leaf-rubbings, noodle necklaces, cookie decorating, and fishing for candy. It hadn’t occurred to me until I was facing 20 brown-eyed Italian children and was trying to explain the crafts to them that none of them spoke English. Perhaps I took for granted the language abilities of my middle school students, but needless to say, I employed the sign language that, out of necessity, I have nearly perfected this semester. However, they seemed to have a wonderful time and it was very entertaining to see all the little witches, skeletons and other characters running around the palazzo. It was also a good feeling to invite everyone to our home. I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to become acquainted with the ragazze americane, and it increased our sense of belonging in our Sansepolcran community.
In case it is not obvious, I am very much in love with the town. This love has even begun to manifest itself in my color theory projects, several of which are inspired by different things in Sansepolcro. Last week we had to create a design and repeat it in several different color schemes that we have been learning about. One had to be painted in primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow), one in secondary colors (green, orange and violet), one in tertiary colors (blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red-violet), one in an analogous color scheme (three colors next to each other on the color wheel—I chose yellow-green, green and blue-green), and lastly, one in a monochromatic color scheme (different shades and tints of one color—I chose red). For my design, I created a simplified version of a photo I took of the bell tower here in Sansepolcro. I wanted to base my design on something Sansepolcran so that when I return home, I can take a little bit of the town with me. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out, and so glad that now I have something to remind me of my time in Italy when I am back at home.
One thing I have acquired a taste for, besides prosciutto and EstaThè (the most delicious peach iced tea), is people-watching. It’s not just the lively Italian conversations I find appealing, but the restful quiet of sitting near the street, soaking up the town until it becomes a part of you. I have spent many afternoons at Gerasmo’s doing exactly that. Gerasmo’s is the best caffè in Sansepolcro, partly because it is directly across the street from our palazzo, but mainly because it is owned by Fabrizio and Sonia. They also have the most heavenly bomboloni (Italian doughnuts), but I think that is because Fabrizio and Sonia’s sweetness rubs off on the pastries. Friendliness makes everything taste better. They always talk with us when we come in, know all of our names, and they even sang happy birthday to Molly yesterday. It is nice to know people and to have faces to recognize, even when you are in a different country.
One of the things I love most about Sansepolcro is the closeness of the town. The fact that I can see several people I know walk down the street while I sit at Gerasmo’s sipping my cappuccino is charming. I also love that the town itself is small. From my bedroom window I can look down at the street and see Gerasmo’s, two pizzerias, and a gelateria. Everywhere I go I pass a friendly face or familiar place. Living in a small town has allowed us to truly become a part of the Sansepolcran community. Throughout our stay here, there have been many things that encouraged us to immerse ourselves into our community. First, we participated in the Balestra festival, an important tradition that we were blessed to be a part of. We also routinely have local guests for lunch, and we teach English in local schools.
This weekend, we had what seemed to be every Sansepolcro resident in our palazzo for a children’s Halloween party. Perhaps we shouldn’t have invited 200 elementary school students, because although the actual number of attendees was far below that, our modest dining room and lounge areas were bursting at the seams. But despite being crowded, it was a huge success. We spent most of the day beforehand doing Halloween grocery shopping and making decorations out of whatever materials we could find. By the time we finished, the palazzo was completely decked-out. There were spider webs on every window and door, orange balloons hanging from the lampshades, paper bats fluttering in the hallway, festive table cloths, a skeleton in the corner, and even a path of paper pumpkins, bats and ghosts from the front door leading up the stairs to the lounge.
When the children began to trickle in—or, more realistically, pour in—we had many activities planned to keep them busy. We had coloring, leaf-rubbings, noodle necklaces, cookie decorating, and fishing for candy. It hadn’t occurred to me until I was facing 20 brown-eyed Italian children and was trying to explain the crafts to them that none of them spoke English. Perhaps I took for granted the language abilities of my middle school students, but needless to say, I employed the sign language that, out of necessity, I have nearly perfected this semester. However, they seemed to have a wonderful time and it was very entertaining to see all the little witches, skeletons and other characters running around the palazzo. It was also a good feeling to invite everyone to our home. I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to become acquainted with the ragazze americane, and it increased our sense of belonging in our Sansepolcran community.
In case it is not obvious, I am very much in love with the town. This love has even begun to manifest itself in my color theory projects, several of which are inspired by different things in Sansepolcro. Last week we had to create a design and repeat it in several different color schemes that we have been learning about. One had to be painted in primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow), one in secondary colors (green, orange and violet), one in tertiary colors (blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red-violet), one in an analogous color scheme (three colors next to each other on the color wheel—I chose yellow-green, green and blue-green), and lastly, one in a monochromatic color scheme (different shades and tints of one color—I chose red). For my design, I created a simplified version of a photo I took of the bell tower here in Sansepolcro. I wanted to base my design on something Sansepolcran so that when I return home, I can take a little bit of the town with me. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out, and so glad that now I have something to remind me of my time in Italy when I am back at home.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
From 10/27/10
Tour of Tuscany
This weekend we packed ten students, three faculty members, one Meredith alumna and one driver into a bus and spent three days exploring Val d’Orcia, one of the most scenic and beautiful parts of Tuscany. One of the purposes of the trip was to visit places that were historically important in WWII. Although I am not in the WWII class or the English class that has been learning about the war and Val d’Orcia, I was very glad that I could learn at least a little bit about each of the cities we traversed on the trip. We stopped in many towns and cities, including La Foce, Montepulciano, Montisi, Montalcino, Buonconvento, Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Pienza.
In La Foce we walked around a famous villa owned by the Origo family. During WWII, they served as a refuge to anyone in need, especially to children and wounded soldiers. We could not go in but had to peek through the gate. However, we did get to walk through their cemetery and see their graves. The villa has some of the most gorgeous views in Italy, so of course we took the opportunity to snap many pictures while we were there. While looking out over the golden hills, it was difficult for me to believe that at one time the landscape was a dangerous war zone, suffering air raids and bombings. We also purchased some local olive oil on our stop, since the oil in that region is particularly good.
We traveled to so many places in such a short amount of time that, to be honest, it is difficult for me to remember exactly what each one was. However, they were all gorgeous historic towns, and most were on hills with beautiful views. On Saturday morning we stopped at a church near Montalcino that, to this day, holds traditional Latin masses. Although we were not able to attend the mass, we did get to walk around the church and see the 12th century carved wooden crucifix on the altar. Outside the church were several rustic, snarly olive trees and a view of the surrounding hills. It was one of the prettiest places I’ve been in Italy so far, with the green-gold grape vines lined across the hills, the terracotta earth and the early morning sun. While we were there, we also met a very nice English family with two children. The eldest, an energetic two year old, entertained all of us by chattering in the most adorable way and doing hilariously good impressions of American accents.
In Montepulciano, we trekked to the top of the city where we saw the place where part of New Moon, a Twilight movie, was filmed. Although I am not a fan of it, I did enjoy seeing the city and walking around the old buildings, some of which were owned by the Medici. In Buonconvento, there is a very interesting agricultural museum. It has well-organized, interactive exhibits that depict the lifestyles of Italian farmers. It was really eye-opening to see things such as farm equipment and wine presses and to learn about the many aspects of their everyday lives. Also, we made a brief stop in Bagno Vignoni, a town famous for its hot springs, which supposedly have healing properties. While there, we had a delicious lunch in a picturesque, terraced restaurant and enjoyed fresh homemade pasta. There is also a spot in the town where the water from the springs run and we walked down to it, stripped off our shoes and socks, and waded in the stream for a bit.
The biggest city we went to was Siena, which was our last stop on Sunday afternoon. Here, we walked around, grabbed some pizza, and visited the cathedral and other museums around it. The cathedral is truly astounding. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Duomo in Florence—it had a striped exterior, exquisite carved detailing on the front, a bell tower, and an impressive interior. One thing I was thrilled about was here we were allowed to take pictures inside. You may be certain that I took full advantage of this opportunity, a rarity in Italian museums, and returned home with a snapshot of every aspect on the building—from the incredibly detailed floor designs, to the tall marble columns, to the meticulously crafted inlaid wood choir chairs. The old inlaid wood is one of my absolute favorite art forms here. Using only wood, somehow the craftsmen were able to create scenes more vivid and detailed than many I have seen painted or sketched. It is truly mind-boggling to see the depth and dimension of the images or to think about the amount of labor that went into creating them.
Our Val d’Orcia trip was one of my favorites so far, simply because everywhere we went was breathtaking and drop-dead gorgeous. It was also very nice of Dr. Webb to organize a trip there, because it required much more private transportation and would not have been something we could easily do on one of our personal travel breaks. It was a different travel experience and a nice break from big cities like Florence or Venice.
Teaching
In our Italy Today class, we learn about all things Italy—mainly government, politics, some history, and also modern aspects of Italian life. Part of the requirements for the course is that we complete a service-learning component by teaching English in an Italian school. Each of us were assigned to a different school; I go to one of the middle schools and have two classes of 13 year olds. So far we have been to our classes three times, and it has been very interesting seeing the differences in Italian schools.
One unique aspect is the Italian school buildings, most of which are very ancient structures. Also, the education system itself is slightly different than in America. Here, children attend elementary, middle and high school. The elementary and middle schools are mostly the same as ours, but the high schools are very different. Italians attend high school for five years, not four, and graduate when they are 19. Also, there are many different high schools and children/children’s parents must choose which they attend depending on what field they would like to study in university later on. Just in a small town like Sansepolcro there is an economic and business high school, an art high school, a scientific high school, and linguistic high school, and a technical high school. The art and technical schools are not as good, and most of the students who attend those will not go to university when they graduate.
In my classes, I have introduced myself to the students, talked about holidays in America, and also talked about summer vacations. I brought in a projector and lots of pictures of my family and my house the first week and pictures depicting holiday traditions the second week. I am very surprised by how well my students speak in English. They have a decent vocabulary, are able to ask me questions and answer my questions, and can use several different verb tenses. And they are only 13. One thing that was strange to them is that I have a car, because in Italy you must be older to get a driver’s license. They also wanted to know if I had a moped. It was rather amusing and I tried to explain to them that the larger distances in America prevent mopeds from becoming as popular as they are here. They also had no idea what sweet potatoes or pies or Pilgrims are, but after my lesson they were well-informed in all things Thanksgiving. Teaching is a new experience for all of us, especially because we are teaching in Italian schools, but so far I am enjoying it very much and am looking forward to seeing my 50 students next week.
This weekend we packed ten students, three faculty members, one Meredith alumna and one driver into a bus and spent three days exploring Val d’Orcia, one of the most scenic and beautiful parts of Tuscany. One of the purposes of the trip was to visit places that were historically important in WWII. Although I am not in the WWII class or the English class that has been learning about the war and Val d’Orcia, I was very glad that I could learn at least a little bit about each of the cities we traversed on the trip. We stopped in many towns and cities, including La Foce, Montepulciano, Montisi, Montalcino, Buonconvento, Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Pienza.
In La Foce we walked around a famous villa owned by the Origo family. During WWII, they served as a refuge to anyone in need, especially to children and wounded soldiers. We could not go in but had to peek through the gate. However, we did get to walk through their cemetery and see their graves. The villa has some of the most gorgeous views in Italy, so of course we took the opportunity to snap many pictures while we were there. While looking out over the golden hills, it was difficult for me to believe that at one time the landscape was a dangerous war zone, suffering air raids and bombings. We also purchased some local olive oil on our stop, since the oil in that region is particularly good.
We traveled to so many places in such a short amount of time that, to be honest, it is difficult for me to remember exactly what each one was. However, they were all gorgeous historic towns, and most were on hills with beautiful views. On Saturday morning we stopped at a church near Montalcino that, to this day, holds traditional Latin masses. Although we were not able to attend the mass, we did get to walk around the church and see the 12th century carved wooden crucifix on the altar. Outside the church were several rustic, snarly olive trees and a view of the surrounding hills. It was one of the prettiest places I’ve been in Italy so far, with the green-gold grape vines lined across the hills, the terracotta earth and the early morning sun. While we were there, we also met a very nice English family with two children. The eldest, an energetic two year old, entertained all of us by chattering in the most adorable way and doing hilariously good impressions of American accents.
In Montepulciano, we trekked to the top of the city where we saw the place where part of New Moon, a Twilight movie, was filmed. Although I am not a fan of it, I did enjoy seeing the city and walking around the old buildings, some of which were owned by the Medici. In Buonconvento, there is a very interesting agricultural museum. It has well-organized, interactive exhibits that depict the lifestyles of Italian farmers. It was really eye-opening to see things such as farm equipment and wine presses and to learn about the many aspects of their everyday lives. Also, we made a brief stop in Bagno Vignoni, a town famous for its hot springs, which supposedly have healing properties. While there, we had a delicious lunch in a picturesque, terraced restaurant and enjoyed fresh homemade pasta. There is also a spot in the town where the water from the springs run and we walked down to it, stripped off our shoes and socks, and waded in the stream for a bit.
The biggest city we went to was Siena, which was our last stop on Sunday afternoon. Here, we walked around, grabbed some pizza, and visited the cathedral and other museums around it. The cathedral is truly astounding. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Duomo in Florence—it had a striped exterior, exquisite carved detailing on the front, a bell tower, and an impressive interior. One thing I was thrilled about was here we were allowed to take pictures inside. You may be certain that I took full advantage of this opportunity, a rarity in Italian museums, and returned home with a snapshot of every aspect on the building—from the incredibly detailed floor designs, to the tall marble columns, to the meticulously crafted inlaid wood choir chairs. The old inlaid wood is one of my absolute favorite art forms here. Using only wood, somehow the craftsmen were able to create scenes more vivid and detailed than many I have seen painted or sketched. It is truly mind-boggling to see the depth and dimension of the images or to think about the amount of labor that went into creating them.
Our Val d’Orcia trip was one of my favorites so far, simply because everywhere we went was breathtaking and drop-dead gorgeous. It was also very nice of Dr. Webb to organize a trip there, because it required much more private transportation and would not have been something we could easily do on one of our personal travel breaks. It was a different travel experience and a nice break from big cities like Florence or Venice.
Teaching
In our Italy Today class, we learn about all things Italy—mainly government, politics, some history, and also modern aspects of Italian life. Part of the requirements for the course is that we complete a service-learning component by teaching English in an Italian school. Each of us were assigned to a different school; I go to one of the middle schools and have two classes of 13 year olds. So far we have been to our classes three times, and it has been very interesting seeing the differences in Italian schools.
One unique aspect is the Italian school buildings, most of which are very ancient structures. Also, the education system itself is slightly different than in America. Here, children attend elementary, middle and high school. The elementary and middle schools are mostly the same as ours, but the high schools are very different. Italians attend high school for five years, not four, and graduate when they are 19. Also, there are many different high schools and children/children’s parents must choose which they attend depending on what field they would like to study in university later on. Just in a small town like Sansepolcro there is an economic and business high school, an art high school, a scientific high school, and linguistic high school, and a technical high school. The art and technical schools are not as good, and most of the students who attend those will not go to university when they graduate.
In my classes, I have introduced myself to the students, talked about holidays in America, and also talked about summer vacations. I brought in a projector and lots of pictures of my family and my house the first week and pictures depicting holiday traditions the second week. I am very surprised by how well my students speak in English. They have a decent vocabulary, are able to ask me questions and answer my questions, and can use several different verb tenses. And they are only 13. One thing that was strange to them is that I have a car, because in Italy you must be older to get a driver’s license. They also wanted to know if I had a moped. It was rather amusing and I tried to explain to them that the larger distances in America prevent mopeds from becoming as popular as they are here. They also had no idea what sweet potatoes or pies or Pilgrims are, but after my lesson they were well-informed in all things Thanksgiving. Teaching is a new experience for all of us, especially because we are teaching in Italian schools, but so far I am enjoying it very much and am looking forward to seeing my 50 students next week.
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