An amazing edifice, indeed, Dom Zephyrinus. This Santa Croce in Lecce, Italy is said to be a “hidden” masterpiece—because it is far in the south near the tip of the “heel” of the Italian boot—rampant with animals and cherubs—various beasts, even sheep and dodo birds. The soft local stone permitted great and marvelous detail and hadn’t been subjected to the destructive acid rain of cities like Rome, Milan, or Florence.
(This peregrinating scribe was also reminded of Santa Croce in Florence, which as no doubt Zephyrinus and others know who have been so fortunate as to have visited it, it is a church so awesome it is almost overwhelming —so much art so dedicated to one purpose, to move one to immediate conversion and repentance of sin. If one is not moved by either of these extraordinary edifices, then one must be made of stone himself. Of course it makes an appearance in Ch. 2 of EM Forster’s novel, “A Room with a View.”) -Note by Dante P
As always, a big Thank You to Dante P for this fascinating additional information. Zephyrinus was pleased to learn about the inclusion within "A Room With A View".
Indeed, Zephyrinus, in “A Room with a View,” EM Forster places his young protagonist, the very proper and somewhat stiff [and very Victorian Anglican] Lucy Honeychurch, in Santa Croce [Florence] and the literary commentators say that, at first because she is upset that she is “..In Santa Croce with no Baedeker’s,” Forster describes how she lets herself be immersed in the “warm spontaneous Franciscan” art, frescoes (Giotto, Donatello, etc), and architecture …and for the first time during her tour of Italy, “she feels happy.” -Note by Dante P
#2: On Santa Croce in Florence: this scribe must note that he felt quite daunted by the Gothic and soaring artistic immensity of Santa Croce, when he visited the great church (shortly after the Franco-Prussian War): it is no doubt great art and architecture, but also a vast profoundly gripping visual reminder [to him] of the Dies Irae by Franciscan Thomas of Celano, filled with very overwhelming messages of the 4 Last Things, heaven, hell, death and judgment.
This scribe felt much more attracted to the much brighter (Santa Croce is very dark) and warmly appealing Dominican church of San Marco in the same city, and its famous adjoining great Dominican convent, now an art museum, filled with colorful and inspiring Fra Angelico murals on the Life of Christ.
It is a matter of subjective artistic impressions, no doubt. —Comment by Dante P
Exemplary additions to this Post. With many thanks to Dante P. For one who visited Florence shortly after The Franco-Prussian War (1870), the memory is in wonderful condition and, apparently, still functioning. The wonderful Commentaries by Dante P, both here on Santa Croce and San Marco in Florence, and on other Posts on other Basilicas, are very much appreciated by Zephyrinus and, obviously, by other Readers. They richly complement this Blog's coverage.
An amazing edifice, indeed, Dom Zephyrinus. This Santa Croce in Lecce, Italy is said to be a “hidden” masterpiece—because it is far in the south near the tip of the “heel” of the Italian boot—rampant with animals and cherubs—various beasts, even sheep and dodo birds. The soft local stone permitted great and marvelous detail and hadn’t been subjected to the destructive acid rain of cities like Rome, Milan, or Florence.
ReplyDelete(This peregrinating scribe was also reminded of Santa Croce in Florence, which as no doubt Zephyrinus and others know who have been so fortunate as to have visited it, it is a church so awesome it is almost overwhelming —so much art so dedicated to one purpose, to move one to immediate conversion and repentance of sin. If one is not moved by either of these extraordinary edifices, then one must be made of stone himself. Of course it makes an appearance in Ch. 2 of EM Forster’s novel, “A Room with a View.”)
-Note by Dante P
As always, a big Thank You to Dante P for this fascinating additional information. Zephyrinus was pleased to learn about the inclusion within "A Room With A View".
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Zephyrinus, in “A Room with a View,” EM Forster places his young protagonist, the very proper and somewhat stiff [and very Victorian Anglican] Lucy Honeychurch, in Santa Croce [Florence] and the literary commentators say that, at first because she is upset that she is “..In Santa Croce with no Baedeker’s,” Forster describes how she lets herself be immersed in the “warm spontaneous Franciscan” art, frescoes (Giotto, Donatello, etc), and architecture …and for the first time during her tour of Italy, “she feels happy.” -Note by Dante P
ReplyDelete#2: On Santa Croce in Florence: this scribe must note that he felt quite daunted by the Gothic and soaring artistic immensity of Santa Croce, when he visited the great church (shortly after the Franco-Prussian War): it is no doubt great art and architecture, but also a vast profoundly gripping visual reminder [to him] of the Dies Irae by Franciscan Thomas of Celano, filled with very overwhelming messages of the 4 Last Things, heaven, hell, death and judgment.
ReplyDeleteThis scribe felt much more attracted to the much brighter (Santa Croce is very dark) and warmly appealing Dominican church of San Marco in the same city, and its famous adjoining great Dominican convent, now an art museum, filled with colorful and inspiring Fra Angelico murals on the Life of Christ.
It is a matter of subjective artistic impressions, no doubt. —Comment by Dante P
Exemplary additions to this Post. With many thanks to Dante P. For one who visited Florence shortly after The Franco-Prussian War (1870), the memory is in wonderful condition and, apparently, still functioning. The wonderful Commentaries by Dante P, both here on Santa Croce and San Marco in Florence, and on other Posts on other Basilicas, are very much appreciated by Zephyrinus and, obviously, by other Readers. They richly complement this Blog's coverage.
ReplyDeleteVery kind, Zephyrinus, but it is your blog that is inspiring and brings to mind and sets forth many treasures of the Great Legacy. -Note by Dante P
ReplyDelete