Wednesday 20 July 2016

In Florence with Friends

Monday was a day full of grace. I had the incredible privilege of visiting the town of Assisi, where St. Francis, possibly the most influential saint of the Middle Ages, lived, grew and ministered to God's people.

We visited the three major basilicas in the Assisi area, namely, Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Basilica of St. Francis, and the Basilica of St. Clare. I took the opportunity while in the former to visit the tiny Church (Porticulo) enclosed inside, where St. Francis had the vision of Christ on the Cross imploring him to "rebuild my Church." While in prayer, I realised this was the place where St. Francis received his vocation from God, and so it was here that I asked for St. Franics' intercession to help me along my own path.


Santa Maria degli Angeli from the outside (not the actual Basilica of St Francis as accidentally stated  in my previous post). Given Francis' disposition, I saw the need to include some nature in the photo.


The beautiful orange-yellow moss that grows on the trees in Assisi.

In the latter two basilicas dedicated to the great saints Francis and Clare, we visited the the tombs where they have been laid to rest. Again, I used the opportunity to pray for family and loved ones, imploring the powerful intercession of these great saints. 

Given the nature of Francis' charism, these churches were understandably less decadent than those found in Rome. That is not to say, by any means, that they are any less beautiful. There is a beautiful simplicity to their architecture, and it is brought to life by Giottos's frescoes crammed onto every exposed surface. I can confidently say that the basilicas (and town) of Assisi have been the highlight of my pilgrimage thus far. Unfortunately, we were told we couldn't take photos inside. Fortunately, I was told a little to late. ;)


The upper basilica of St. Francis (there is another directly below this one)

A small section of Giotto's brilliance. This famous image you see to the right of the picture is said to be the most accurate depiction of the saint's true visage. The tradition holds that Giotto was pretty anal when it came to getting things right, and so he likely would have spoken to those who had actually met Francis in person. The fresco was painted roughly 60 years after his' death in 1226.

(Tuesday 19th July)
I don't think I can stress enough how busy we have been. These days of pilgrimage are utterly jam packed with tours, travel, Mass and other related activities. Today was no exception. 

After a lovely breakfast in our hotel consisting of pastries, cereal, fruit, yoghurt and coffee we hit the road again. Today's destination was Sienna and Florence (not Padua...yet). On the bus we drove through the hills and townships of Umbria and Tuscany, arguably some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. The light seems to hit it in such a way that it explodes in colour without casting any glare. The Lord only knows how, but the small towns and villages seem to have retained their unique culture for centuries. I couldn't help but think how many saints had traversed through and witnessed this very same countryside? 

The bus ride was a great experience. Bishop Peter took the opportunity to turn the ride into an open forum Q&A. The questions came hard and fast, spanning from queries about his own life and vocation, to the technical distinction between friars and monks, sisters and nuns. He answered every question with confident simplicity, in a way that could be understood by all.

Just before we arrived in Sienna, Bishop Peter gave us an introduction to the life and personality of St. Catherine. She was a strong and faithful woman. Tiny in stature but gargantuan in spirit. It was she, a lay third order Dominican, who went to Avignon in France in 1375, and persuaded the Pope to come back to his rightful see in Rome. She was an incredibly holy woman, who took to herself the path of suffering in order to draw closer to the passion of our Lord. She would often fast for long periods, surving purely on the precious body of our Lord. 

The biographical details of her life came stunningly to life as we entered the Basilica of St. Dominic. Once again, almost every surface was adorned with beautiful frescoes dating back hundreds of years. Unfortunately, this time the no photos rule was quite strictly enforced. But here is a picture from the outside...

 

Inside we had the opportunity to see two major relics of St. Catherine. Her head and her right thumb. Looking at the head of St. Catherine was a strange experience. It was equal parts creepy and awe-inspiring. I was honoured to be able to gaze upon the face of a great Saint, but also slightly disturbed by the fact that I was looking at a dead head. The thumb was much more manageable, it felt like St. Catherine was encouraging me along my journey with a thumbs up.

I found the next part of the journey the most entertaining. In the heart of Sienna is the Piazza del Campo (the main square). Twice a year in the square, the town holds a horse race where all of the 17 neighbouring provinces compete against one another. Approximately one month before the race, each province chooses a horse to compete (no thoroughbreds allowed). The best part about the whole race is that only the horse needs to finish, the jockey need not get to the end. That may sound strange at first, but it makes sense given that the jockeys are allowed to use their whips to flog their opponents.

 
This is the the square where the provinces battle it out on horseback.

Our time in Sienna was lovely, but pretty soon we were back on the bus and flying towards Florencia. We were given ample time to roam the streets and do some leather shopping. Our guided tour only took us to one place, and that was Santa Croche Basilica. 
 
This is a picture of Santa Croche featuring a monument to Florence's own Dante Alighieri. 

Inside the Basilica are the tombs of some of histories greatest personages. Among them are Galileo Galilee (spelling?), Michelangelo and Machiavelli. I thought it might be disrespectful to photograph their tombs, but in the case of Machiavelli, I guess the ends justifed the means.

 
Tombs of the greats.

 
This monolithic structure is called Duomo of Santa Maria Del Fiore. I had to use the panorama function on my phone to fit it into one shot.

That concludes today's update. Currently I'm on the bus, once again driving through the rolling hills of Italy. We are on our way to Padua for our tour of St.Anthony's Basilica, and then hurrying off to Venice to sleep. I promise to get a gondola shot!

 
Here's a shot of Grace and I taken immediately before upload. 

P.S. You're up to date!

God bless
Sam

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for keeping this blog going Sam, I've truly been appreciating it, and I have an accurate idea of just how much time it takes to get it done. The sacrifices needed to achieve each post are worthwhile.

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