Milano - A Rain Day - Part I

"You brought the sunshine with you from Roma," beamed the always welcoming Vittoria as I checked in a week ago Monday at the Hotel Star in Milano.  And indeed after several days of continuous rain it seemed that the sun had returned to warm the Piazza Duomo and it was a glorious day for strolling through Centro.  However my gift was short-lived: the next morning Vittoria suggested that an umbrella and a sweater would be more appropriate than SF15 to the day.

Peck is a food lover's paradise however the stern warning tells you - No dogs! No Photos!  And some of the staff give a new dimension to Milan attitude - except for Bruno behind the prepared food counter who is charm incarnate. Though at those prices everyone should be.

Fortunately even in the rain Milano has much to offer - it means spending a bit of extra time studying the marvellous shop windows in the Galleria, popping into that church that I've always meant to have a look at, stopping off to have the senses of taste, smell and sight stimulated at Peck (and maybe even picking up one of their jars of tiny artichokes in olive oil - after having taken out the suitable bank loan to pay for it), seeking the shelter of the 14th century Mercato building to listen to a jazz band and wandering down to the Museo Diocesano in the San Lorenzo area to take a look at an exhibition with the rather intriguing title of Gli occhi di Caravaggio.

Now poor Michelangelo Merisi was largely ignored for a few centuries but has suddenly become all the rage. Just last year we celebrated the 400th anniversary of his rather mysterious death with a "Notte di Caravaggio" here in Roma - a decidedly festive all night celebration of a less than festive event - which had been preceded by the blockbuster exhibition at the Scuderie. And it would appear that his name on a poster draws the crowds in, no matter how tenuous the connection. In this case the exhibition was dedicated to painters and city-states in Northern Italy that may well have influenced the work of a home-town boy whose become a household name down South.  Though he was born in Milano most of Caravaggio's productive years were spent in Roma, Napoli and Sicilia.  And the poster and the title may have created the (misleading) impression that we would be seeing some of his more famous works only one was on display - his powerful The Flagellation of Christ.  But what was displayed were some very fine pieces by other artists who may well have influenced him: Giorgione, Moretto da Brescia, G.B. Moroni, Tiziano, Vincenzo e Antonio Campi, Simone Peterzano, Tintoretto, Lorenzo Lotto and Giovanni Ambrogio Figino.  So though the draw may have been the bad boy of Renaissance art there was some splendid examples of many of the great artists of the period that made the exhibition a must see.  That and the Museo Diocesano itself.

Hidden of in a rather dreary section of the city - even drearier on a rain-soaked morning - the entrance to the Museo is not particularly inviting but once inside!!!!  The collection chiefly traces the history of Christian art in Milan and the surrounding areas of Lombardy and Veneto but is wide ranging for all that.  Many of the works come from parish churches in the region that are no longer used for worship or have given works to the Museo for safe keeping and restoration.   The three collections that intrigued me most where the 41 gold backed paintings on wood that make up the Crespi Fondi Oro, the Diocesan Collection of works from parish churches and items from the now defunct Museo Ambrogio.

Three wood and gilt statutes from the Diocesan Gallery of the Museo Diocesano in Milano.

One of my pet bugaboos is  people who take photos when it is expressly forbidden and I am proud to say I have never taken a "forbidden" picture.  If there is any doubt in my mind I always ask.  None of the normal signs were posted in the Museo so ask I did in each gallery - and got three different responses.  In the Diocesan Gallery the mature lady, head buried in a musical score and singing softly to herself, raised her head and an eyebrow and murmured "One would be okay, but only one!"  So one I took of three beautiful statues in wood and gilt that once graced the church of Sant'Agnese in Sommo Lombardo in the Varese district of Lombardy.  They are by a craftsman named Rolando Botta who was active in the area during the second half of the 15th century. 

Santa Barbara

Sant'Agnese

Santa Maria Maddalena

I find these three statues have a serenity and grace that makes me curious as to the rest of this artist's work. Unfortunately a search revealed very little concerning him.

The Ambrogio Gallery contains older pieces from early incarnations of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. The Patron Saint of Milano - and I am ashamed to say that the only reason I know that is because it is the opening night of the opera season at La Scala - Ambrogio is credited with building four churches in the city. He is also credited - it would appear erroneously - with the creation of the Ambrosian rite that is celebrated in much of Lombardy. Again it was three carved wood pieces that caught my attention. These walnut choir stall dossals were the work of a team of artists for the Basilica between 1469-1471. Lorenzeo da Origgio, Giacomo da torre and Giacomo del Maino worked in carving, inlay, paint and lacquer to create these three beautiful panels. When I asked the guard if it was okay if I took a photo he shrugged and said, "Take as many as you like."

I mentioned last week that I was reading Aesop's Fables on my iPhone and for some reason these carvings reminded me of early wood cuts I'd seen of the old morality messages. Could they have been the inspiration for these three artists?

There was one other piece from the Visconti collection that took my breath away - a massive carved, painted and gilt redoes from Antwerp that filled one wall at the top of a staircase.  Unfortunately when I approached the guard this time I was sternly admonished that no photos were allowed anywhere in the Museum. Now I know better than to argue with someone in their own little domain so I held my peace. Though I was sorely tempted once his back was turned I didn't break my own rule.   I was sure there would be a post card or even a pamphlet about such a major piece - sometimes I should stop being so damned Anglo-Saxon and take the bloody photos!

14 giugno - San Eliseo - profeta

Birds of the Air and Beasts of the Field

Most people know that St Francis of Assisi, along with Saint Anthony of Padua, is the Patron of Animals in the Western Church but I defy anyone to tell me - without Google or a similar search - who the Patron Saint of God's Creatures Great and Small is in the Orthodox church. Here's a hint:

Give up? It's Saint Modestus of Jerusalem, one of the several patrons of animals in the Eastern Church.

I had seen this beautiful icon at Koukos when we were in Athens last November - when I bought the very unusual icon of the Child Christ, the Virgin and her mother Saint Anna. But at the time I just didn't have the money to spend on it. However my very thoughtful spouse decided that as we seemed to be calling on several saints name while attempting to train the deadly duo that it would be good to have one of those saints represented in our house.

It was "written" by the same artist from Thessaloniki as the previous one and bears his signature characteristics if not his actually name. It is painted on canvas and attached to the wood rather than on the wood itself. The figure is decidedly Eastern in appearance but scene that surrounds him could almost come out of an early Medieval manuscript. It is this combination of Western and Eastern influences that appeals to me most in this artist's work.

So it now falls to Saint Modestus to become our helpmate in bringing Nick and Nora into line. If that fails we may just have to call upon a higher power. But then I've already done that in a very loud voice on several occasions.

19 luglio - San Pietro Crisci da Foligno

Villach - Church Humour?

Villach is a strange little Austrian town close to the Italian border. As a Nazi hold out at the end of World War II it was subject to intense bombing and much in the city was destroyed. According to Wikpedia: the town was bombed 37 times by the Allies. About 42,500 bombs killed 300 people and damaged 85% of the buildings, nevertheless the city quickly recovered.

It's a pleasant town but there was really very little of great interest - an Austrian lady I met on the train to Udine was astounded I’d even spend a night there. However the Post Hotel had a remarkably good dining room and perhaps on something other than the Whitsun Monday holiday it would have been more active and attractive.

However the parish church of St Jakob was interesting if for nothing more than some unintentional humour.

Laurent’s first impression of the ceiling? It looks like pretzels!


Is it just me or do the two figures on either side of Christ seem to be pointing with a “He’s the Man!” attitude? Or am I just imaging things?


I know that the idea behind this pulpit is The Tree of Jesse but I kept thinking it may also be a comment on the quality of the sermons being preached from it. I'm not sure I would want to hold forth from a podium with a sleeping man under it, it could give parishioners ideas!



08 guigno - San Massimino

Do You Joseph ....

We went up to Firenze yesterday morning on the 0930 Express - its an 90 minute ride and arriving before noon gave us time to visit two museums, do some shopping, have lunch and just take a Sunday stroll through town gelato in hand. As we arrived in the station the bells of Santa Maria Nouvella and a few other churches were pealing forth, if not in celebration of our arrival than perhaps for Italy's Women's Day. This meant that as the day progressed, much to her delight, our friend Simonetta was admitted free to the museums we visited.

Our main purpose was to visit the Museo di San Marco and more particularly their glorious store of paintings by Beato Angelico. His work adorned not only the church and chapels but the cells of the monks who once lived in the convent. Though all of his works have a spiritual beauty, and his angels are particularly wonderful, I was immediately taken with this little painting - its only 19 x 50 cm.Il Sposalizio della Vergine (The Marriage of the Virgin) is a predella or one of a series of paintings running along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece. They were meant to illustrate events in the life of the Saint honoured - in this case the main altarpiece celebrated the Coronation of the Virgin. One of the things that struck me about it was how it resembled middle-eastern wedding celebrations. Particularly the segregation of men from the women and children - though that may have also been a Medieval tradition.

09 marzo - Santa Caterina di Bologna

Farnese Folly

In his artless way my good friend Parsi was asking if I was rehearsing "Vissi d'arte" at the Palazzo Farnese this past Saturday; no, Parsi I was just trying to get into one of Rome's great architectural treasures. Every spring the Fondo per L'Ambiente Italiano celebrates spring by opening some of the gardens, parks and historical buildings which it maintains. It's a chance to see many of the incredible venues that are normally closed to the public: as an example the Palazzo Farnese is now the French Embassy and as such can only be visited on official business.

We headed out for Via Giula - which was the centre of attractions in Rome - a little later than we should have and by the time we reached Campo di Fiori it was 2 pm. The market at the Campo was still in full swing - flowers, fruit, vegetables, bric-a-brac, dishes, kitchen ware, name the item it was probably there.

That's Giordano Bruno, the Italian philosopher, hovering over the marque tops. He was burned at the stake in the Campo in 1600; this statue was commissioned by supporters of the reunification of Italy and erected in 1889 on the site of his death. Several Popes tried, unsuccessfully to have it removed.

At the end of the market day - around 4 pm - the clean-up job is an enormous task.

We joined the line up in the Piazza Farnese at around 2:10; at that point it circled around the Piazza, down the side of the Palazzo and around to the garden entrance. It seemed to be moving fairly quickly and given the chance to see the incredible frescoed rooms we decided to wait. An hour and a half later we had made it as far as the side of the building and where then told by an FAI volunteer that there was no guarantee we would get in. A wonderful, typically Italian, scene then broke out: the volunteer chastised the guards for not cutting the line off sooner, the guards fought back, people in line started either grumbling at her and the guards or attempting to wheedle their way further up in the line. At that point I needed a coffee so we, reluctantly, gave up. However we did stroll around the area, enjoying the sunshine, a double scoop gelato and espresso.

Around the Piazza....

... down the south side of the Palazzo ...

... around the corner to the Garden entrance. Hmm... she was right we wouldn't have got in.

We decided to wander back to Piazza Venezia and on the way stopped into Chiesa del Gesu - the great Jesuit church in Rome. The Piazza in front is said to be the windiest place in Rome. In A Companion Guide to Rome - a treasure trove of anecdotes and history - Georgina Masson says: ... this fact is accounted for by a curious legend. The devil and the wind were once walking there and the devil asked to be excused for a minute to go into the church; he never emerged, and the wind has been waiting for him ever since. What may have defeated the devil was the baroque excesses of the interior - he probably got lost amongst the cupids, curlicues and decorations. Myself I find it just a bit over the top - but then to be honest I'm not the greatest fan of baroque architecture or decoration. Given that fact, Rome is not exactly the best place to be.

More to my taste is the Basiclica di San Marco at Piazza Venezia; I've never seen it open and despite its central location, when it is open it's not often frequented by tourists. A church has existed on the site since the 4th century and it is one of the ancient titular churches of the city. It's Venetian origins are apparent in the mosaics, the decoration and the layout. Fortunately the 17th and 18th century "improvements" haven't obscured the Renaissance ceiling and portico. It really is "worth the detour" and the Vivaldi playing in the background lent a nice touch.

The 9th century mosaics in the apse depict the risen Christ and various saints, including San Marco holding a model of the church, the lamb of God and twelve sheep representing the Apostles.

The Lion is the symbol of San Marco and Venice - the Basilica is the national church of Venice in Rome.

I was remarking to Laurent that often when we head out to do something here our plans go awry but there's no point in getting upset - there's always something else to do and see. My God I may be getting use to life here - for the moment.

08 aprile - San Antonio Pavoni

What I Am Today ...

... You Will Be Tomorrow


The church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte stands across from the Palazzo Farnese and was built in 1575 by a confraternity founded in 1551 to collect and give Christian burial to the unknown dead of Rome. This plaque is one of several on either side of the entrance that asks for donations to continue this pious work. The confraternity still fulfils that task today.

06 aprile - Santa Virginia

Observations

Western Easter Sunday this year falls on an uncommonly early date. The last time this occurred was in 1913 and the next time will be in 2160. The earliest possible date, 22 March, is even more rare: the last time was 1818 and the next time will be 2285. Until 1582 the date of Easter was identical in both the Western and Eastern church, after that point the different methods of calculation at times led to wide variations. This year there is over a month difference between the Western and Eastern observations of Easter.

Of course the differences between the two rites extended far beyond the dates of Easter and are best left to theological minds. But this past month in visiting the 12th century Duomo in Spoleto, the 9th century Basilica of Santa Prassede in Rome and various churches in Athens I was struck by how close they were artistically in earlier times.

This life-size crucifix by Alberto Soszi dating from 1178 once stood behind the alter of the Duomo in Spoleto. It is parchment mounted on wood and is now conserved in a glass case elsewhere in the Duomo.

A window display in Athens of vestments and vessels for Good Friday though modern reflects the iconic tradition of the Orthodox Church.

There is very little difference between the painting style of this 13th crucifix from Spoleto and the one in the window above.

The Basilica di Santa Prassede here in Rome is filled with stunning examples of 9th century mosaics. This apse mosaic of Christ the Redeemer is very much in the Byzantine style that was to be replaced by a more realistic style in the West but remain central to the Eastern Church.

This fresco of the Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and St. Stephen in the Capella Eroli in the Duomo at Spoleto is by the 15th century artist Pinturicchio. It shows the change in style that was evolving in the Western Church during the Renaissance.

Whereas this beautiful Madonna and Child is a modern continuation of the Eastern tradition of icon painting from the 11th century.

23 marzo - Pasqua di Risurrezione