Today was a pretty interesting day. For our first visit, we went to the Capuchin Crypts. The crypts are really just a series of small "chapels" underneath the Santa Maria della Consezione dei Cappuccini church. The chapels are an example of momento mori, or reflections on death. The chapels are the final resting places of some 4,000 monks......and the best part of this was that some random artist decided it would be a really good idea to decorate the chapels with their bones! In the last crypt, there is a sign that says, Quello che voi siete noi eravamo; quello che noi siamo voi sarete....What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be. Creepy! We weren't allowed to take pictures, but here are some from the internet so you can see what it was like:
Even though the place is obviously pretty morbid, it was actually really fascinating. I recommend checking it out if you ever find yourself in Rome.
After the crypts, we walked over to Santa Maria della Vittoria to see Bernini's famous sculpture, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa. I've studied this sculpture in many art history classes, and was very excited to see it...it is a very interesting story and piece of art. Theresa was a cloistered nun who one night had a divine vision. She describes the event in her autobiography:
"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying."
Make of THAT what you will....and here is the statue:
While I was taking pictures of the statue, my roommate MacKenzie came up behind me and sang this song:
Click here for song!
:)
Erin, Christine, and I made an Italian friend named Guilia the other night at a wine bar around the corner from my apartment. She invited us over for dinner tonight and I'm pretty excited! Tomorrow for class we are going to the Galleria Borghese...can't wait to see all the amazing art there!
Ciao!
1 comment:
Uh oh, you're all going to hell! :-)
love, mom
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