TRANSCENDENT MOMENTS Jenny Lee INTRODUCTION For many people, I am sure that a trip to Italy means seeing and experiencing new things. For me, even though this is also true, what created my transcendent moments were personal reminders; remnants of myself in the distant past that I had forgotten were essential parts of who and what I am today. The three moments I describe encompass various aspects of how I came to define aesthetics over the years, and how that definition is evolving as I learn more about this world. MY TWENTY SITES IN FLORENCE Santissima Annunziata Museo di San Marco Santa Croce Palazzo Medici San Miniato al Monte Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens Piazza Signoria Santa Maria del Carmine Basilica di Santo Spirito Laurentian Library Uffizi Gallery Museo della Storia di Scienza Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto San Lorenzo Market and Mercato Centrale Basilica di San Lorenzo Ponte Vecchio Ospedale degli Innocenti Museo del Opera del Duomo Duomo del Santa Maria del Fiore and Cupola Santa Maria Novella 1 MY TEN CHOICE SITES Santissima Annunziata and Piazza When I stepped into the piazza, I was reminded of the concepts behind Piazza del Campo in Siena and Piazza Pio II in Pienza. Each building carries similarities with each other structurally, but they are their own entity, creating a sense of coherent diversity. It was interesting to see how the space was used as well. Along with the children’s choir that was singing in front of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, there were many art students also practicing perspective in the shade of the loggias on another day. The transition from the piazza to the church was immediate, as a mass was being conducted within the sanctuary and the singing could be heard in the Cloister of Vows where the frescoes were. Listening to the voices while examining the paintings gave a feeling of serenity and suggested the reverence people might feel to worship in this place. Ospedale degli Innocenti Not knowing what to expect when entering the space, I was delighted to see that the Ospedale was still a place for children. On one side, students were sketching the architectural structures of Brunelleschi, while children would periodically run through the open courtyard with their mothers or caretakers. It was also a place for organizations concerning children such as UNICEF to hold offices or conduct conferences, indeed a suitable place in the midst of Florence. It was Transcendent Moments Transcendent 2 quite an experience to see that the purpose of the building has not changed over the course of so many years, and also quite the homage to Brunelleschi’s first commission. Museo di San Marco The Dormitorio de San Marco carried the most impact during my visit. The frescoes by Fra Angelico all carried a cohesiveness in theme as I moved from room to room, and noticing their placements on the wall were aligned with the light that would shine through a hole above the door of each cell made me wonder what it would be like to stay in these rooms. Azmina was not familiar with the stories depicted in the paintings, so we went to each room and I, along with April, explained the significance of each person in the Christian religion. It was a refreshing experience, as it had been a long time since I’ve had to explain these stories that I’ve known since my childhood, which also gave me renewed gratitude for being taught them. Another aspect that impressed me was Cosimo de’Medici’s cell, where the only difference in his from the others was that his fresco was larger in size. It was intriguing for me to see that this great patron did not ask for elegance and grandeur in this sanctuary of meditation, only to look upon the painting of the Adoration of the Magi and be treated like the other monks in the dormitorio. Santa Croce Two areas carried significant impact for me at the Santa Croce: the Capella Pazzi and the Secondo Chiostro. The architectural geometry and symbolism within the chapel demanded reverence and contemplation. The Secondo Chiostro set a similar mood, but in addition created a serene atmosphere and in effect, an ideal place for meditation. Because it is also surrounded by chapels on all sides, it indirectly becomes its own sanctuary for people seeking solitude. Transcendent Moments Transcendent 3 Santa Maria del Carmine Our first entrance to the Santa Maria del Carmine was an entrancing one. The frescoes immediately set the mood as I entered the space, while music from the service was playing. As I witnessed the participants partake in communion at the altar, I contemplated on the meaning of the ritual while staring up at the painted ceiling above me, as if the heavenly procession was overseeing the people as they took the Eucharist. The perspective in the fresco added to the illusion of God looking down on his people as people worshiped. Seeing this place used as a worshiping space most certainly added depth and meaning to the surroundings of the church that I would not be able to see in Canada. Entering the Capella Brancacci afterward was another moment of immersion in human achievement and emotion. Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden was what struck me the most, their contorted faces of anguish haunting me as they stepped away from Paradise. The surrounding narrative of Peter’s life was also a detailed account that I had not encountered in such a way previously. Laurentian Library The achievement Michelangelo made with his staircase that leads into the library was most certainly breathtaking in its structure and flow; a brilliant entrance to a brilliant library. The geometric complexity within the library was just as awe striking, as well as the manuscript books laid out in glass cases. Eyeing the detailed calligraphy and letterheads, along with the first appearance of the Garamond font was indeed something that could be studied for hours. Transcendent Moments Transcendent 4 Palazzo degli Uffizi Though there were many impressive works inside the Uffizi, the room that stood out to me the most was the Niobe Room. As I walked into the space, I could tell that all the statues around me looked unified in theme, even before I knew what the sculptures were about. Their looks of terror and movements of panic swept across the room, almost as if they were trying to break free from their prisons of stone. Reading about the story of Niobe and the slaughter of her children made the room even more haunting and meaningful, almost like I had walked right into the middle of the event and witnessed it all. Duomo del Santa Maria del Fiore After studying the great achievement Brunelleschi accomplished with the cupola of the Duomo, the climb to the top of the structure was indeed a memorable one. Being able to witness all the inner workings that took place in order to erect the dome while walking in between the two wall shells took my breath away, only to be taken aback again when seeing the view of Florence at the top. Seeing the fresco on the interior of the dome was also awe-inspiring, and altogether created a lasting impression for me. Transcendent Moments Transcendent 5 Transcendent Moment 1: Piazza Signoria The Loggia dei Lanzi was one of my favorite places to go at night. Sitting and observing the statues under the night sky while listening to street music was a relaxing pastime. One afternoon I wanted to go to the loggia to sketch the statues, and found out that they had set up a huge stage in front of the stairs to the loggia, completely blocking all access. I was really disappointed, since I knew that I wasn’t going to get many other chances to sketch the statues. Upon returning home, I kept thinking about that stage and wondered about what was going on that would cause them to completely block the stairway to the loggia. After visiting San Miniato with Azmina after sunset, I told her about the stage and asked her if she was willing to come with me to investigate the events on that stage. We arrived at Piazza Signoria and saw that people were still setting things up. I asked one of the street vendors if they knew what event was going on there and when it was to happen. The vendor responded that there were going to be dance performances all weekend at night. This was most certainly something I wanted to see, even though it was not exactly clear to me why at that point. After asking around the group, we arranged to go together on Saturday night. Upon arrival, we saw the dancers warming up, and we observed many different styles of dance during their practice: from ballet to break dancing; this became even more intriguing. The performance started with traditional ballet pieces. While the dancers moved across Transcendent Moments Transcendent 6 the stage, I looked at the sculptures that were acting as a background in the Loggia dei Lanzi. It almost seemed as if the sculptures were coming forth to perform as well, as their gestures were imitations of the dancers’ forms: an emotional dance between flesh and stone. As a whole, I saw it as a celebration of the human body, its fluid movements as beauty captured by both sculptor and dancer, centuries apart yet cohesively brought together in an instant. The performances progressed to some experimental ballet pieces, and then to the break dancing sequences. At the end, all the dancers came back on stage and mixed their styles together in an expressive and powerful finale.