Santa Croce

Today I had art history class #3 in the Basilica di Santa Croce, a gothic church famous for housing the tombs of Rossini, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Galileo, among others. Many of its frescoes and paintings had to undergo heavy restoration after the great flood of 1966 that saw water levels reach up to five metres in some areas. (In fact, you can see how high the water level was on one building at the corner of the Piazza di Santa Croce. It's unbelievable!) One of the affected works of art is the Crucifixion (1260), a wooden cross by Cimabue. Other notable works in the church include frescoes by Giotto and Gaddi (both father and son) as well as other decorations by Donatello, Vasari, and the della Robbia family. It was built in the 13th century and is the largest Franciscan church in the world, constructed with St. Francis' desire in mind: to bring people closer to God.

My teacher gave us handouts describing and comparing the building and artworks of Santa Croce to those of the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi. Of note is that on the walls of Santa Croce you see the beginnings of a shift from static and rigid art to images featuring more movement and realism. The frescoes start to show a sky, bringing subjects to a real place on earth, other than the gold and imaginary background seen in places such as il Battistero.

Michelangelo's tomb with sculptures symbolizing (from left to right) three of his most famous talents: painting, sculpture, and architecture.

I also learned that there is a huge difference in style between artists who studied in Rome and those who did not. Those who walked through Rome and looked at the art and sculptures there were miles ahead of those who never set foot on its streets. This education mixed with talent allowed for huge progressions in art during the Renaissance. Moreover, one must always keep in mind that the art we see in churches was normally commissioned by a wealthy family, and most of the time they had a heavy say in what was depicted and how.

An interesting fact: contrary to popular belief, Dante's body is not sepulchred in Santa Croce, though there is a tomb dedicated to him there. His body is actually in Ravenna.

My friend Michelangela (thus nicknamed because she is one of many intellectual pursuits, foremost being architecture) commented off the bat that she was not a fan of the church's interior since it seemed to be adorned with too many sculptures and paintings. I, on the other hand, who am not one prone to having strong opinions of art other than a feeling of like or dislike, didn't mind the mixture of styles. It's all relative, I guess.

Someone enjoys a book in Santa Croce's courtyard

The Pazzi Chapel (centre) and courtyard of Santa Croce

After our class, Michelangela and I lingered around a bit longer in the Cappella Pazzi (Pazzi Chapel, exterior pictured above) before getting frappés at Vivoli nearby and joining our teacher for a free guided tour of two more churches that I have visited with the school already: Santissimi Apostoli and Santa Trinita. I need to absorb as much as I can so that I can be a tour guide for my family and friends!

Today's word of the day is mollare, meaning "to give in" or  "to let go".