Do your backpack and go

The most difficult step to do when you plan a travel is to take the decision about the departure. 

Istanbul was my dream since many years. I haven't been on a proper holiday since a long time and Istanbul was always on the first place on my traveling list. 

Or better.. I wanted to go to Constantinople... 

So this year I decided to go no matter what was happening around. I was lucky because also one of my Guggie-friends, Ruth, had the same dream. 

We took the tickets and we met in Istanbul. 

Istanbul is a fever. To arrive there in the evening meant to go through the city that was just waking up; lights, neons, people everywhere, all shops were open, people were wondering around, laughing and talking. 

When we entered to the hard of the old part of Istanbul I felt like in Paris. The streets became narrow and hilly. Down there, in front of us, we could glimpse the Golden Horn. 

It all seemed quite magical.

We felt this magic atmosphere when we were walking for the first time through the streets of Istanbul, so desired and expected with anxiety.

The day after it didn't take us a lot to decide what we were suppose to do.

There was only one place we could go: Hagia Sophia.

The dream of every art historian, the myth, the heart of Constantinople. 

Our hostel was very close to the Sultanahmet and all the most important monuments. We arrived to the church after five minutes walk, we joined the queue and soon after we could admire the interior of the monument. 

We entered and we immediately saw the space, vast and open, with thousands of veils, arches and columns, dividing and opening it at the same time. I think this space organization of the church was the reason why Muslims decided to adapt it into a mosque. The idea of was very similar to the Muslim habit of veiling, hiding, looking through.

Once entered you wonder around and slowly get familiar with the place. 

And then you start to understand how strong the Muslim imprint on the entire church is, how many things did not survive to our time, how many mosaics we can't see. Walls, once covered with shiny tesseras are all painted in a strange ochre colour. 

There is no trace of the altars or other decorations. The church seems to be rather a shadow of the great Hagia Sophia. 

The mosaics that survived are incredibly beautiful. The angel above the presbytery shows so many traces of the Roman painting. The mosaic with Christ, Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist is just indescribably touching. I simply couldn't stop looking in Christ eyes. 

We spent more then two hours in the church, walking, observing, breathing, experiencing the space because Hagia Sophia is an experience. 

Hagia Sophia, August 2012

Firenze Santa Maria Novella

I was planing to do those pictures for months even before I got my new camera last year. 

This building attires me since I first came to Florence. I admire it especially during the night when the light underlines the architecture, its geometry and plasticity. Thanks to a strong contrast between the shades and the lights it is possible to see clearly the line of the building. All neons are shining brightly and the station is almost empty. This is when the architecture plays the main role. 

Often from people who come to Florence I hear many complains about Firenze Santa Maria Novella. They find the station not inviting at all, anonymous and silent. They remain indifferent to it.

Me instead I adore this building, every detail, all the surroundings: the station itself, the platforms, the waiting room, the Palazzina Reale from the side of Piazza Adua. I agree that the station is not in very good conditions (as most of the train stations in Europe). Moreover, it is in continuous restoration like many, many, many buildings in Florence, but still, I simply love it. 

I remember surprised faces of the people that were looking at me with suspect when I was taking pictures. Many asked me: "What is beautiful here?". 

Nothing. Or maybe everything?

A bit of history?

The station was built between 1933 and 1935 by Gruppo Toscano with Giovanni Michelucci as the leader. The aim was to unify the new station with the historical outlook of Piazza dell'Unità and the Santa Maria Novella Church in front of it. It explains the use of pietra forte on the outside of the station from that side. It is one of the greatest examples of rationalism in Italian architecture. 

For you from me Santa Maria Novella train station:

Santa Maria Novella station, June 2012.

Memories from Durham

When I'm telling people that I'm doing my PhD everybody, especially those who did their studies some time before, are telling me that I am living the time of my life. And actually it's true. Even if sometimes it is not easy but I truly love my studies. I am particularly grateful that I could meet all those wonderful people who are studying with me at the University, my colleagues and all that I've met last winter. 

Durham being a tiny small town pushes students into passing their time together because there are not so many choices of spending free time. 

Moreover passing time with my colleagues was fun so we were doing many things together: going for trips outside Durham, going to the swimming pool together, hanging out in the evenings and admiring Durham evening fashion and so on. 

The pictures that I put here I made on a Sunday during an autumn walk with Lorenzo and Giulio. It was during Lumiere festival in Durham so I photographed some of the installations that during the evenings where colorfully illuminated. 

Guys did also some other pictures... I can only say that falling autumn leaves were a great inspiration for their creativity. Undoubtedly that we had great fun. I don't remember when I was laughing so much as on that day! 

Voyageur, Durham 2011. 

I love Durham, Durham market place 2011.

Durham Cathedral, Durham 2011.

...following the white rabbit...

When you do your research in art history it is very easy for you to loose all the passion you have for art. Art for an art historian has to become an extremely rational issue. You deal with commissioners, social background of the artistic production, exchange between different centres, iconography, style, school and so on. And then you forget why actually a work of art attired you attention. You don't see the work of art anymore but you see all that surrounds it.

On one hand I like it because I become more and more conscious of what I'm seeing. On the other hand sometimes I want to forget that art is actually my profession. In those moments I just go to see an exhibition (likely of contemporary art). Looking at the works of art I have never seen before I move my imagination just to remember myself that in the end to believe in art you have to have the courage of a child who sees a white rabbit and decides to follow it. 

Piazza Santa Croce, Firenze 2012.

Sculpture and space

I wanted to write this post already some time ago but I've never had a quiet moment to sit myself with a cup of tea and tell you something about the photo that you'll find below. 

It's not a great picture but I like it because it shows one of my favorites squares in Florence, Piazza Santa Trinita. 

It's one of the places in Florence where the space is invaded by the sculpture. 

On the square there is the Santa Trinita church on the left, the Palazzo Spini Feroni and the Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni on the right, the Column of Justice in the middle of the square. Palazzo Spini Feroni was built in the 14th century, Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni in the '20s of 16th cenutry by Baccio d'Agnolo. The column of Justice was donated to Cosimo I de Medici by the pope Pius IV in 1560 and the facade of the church was redesigned 30 years later. In this case the chronological order is quite important. The point is that the statues on the facade were the last element added to the square. If you look closely you see that they unify all space. Saint Alexius from the facade is looking up at the Justice. His glance directed out of the facade makes the space of his niche 'weaker', he seams less attached to the wall. He is also giving meaning to the space, to the distance that separates him from the column and from the figure of Justice. It creates a sort of meaningful tension between them.

It's not the only place in Florence where the statues virtually occupy the space of the city. Saint Thomas is slides out from the niche on the facade of Orsanmichele, Perseus is jealously observed by David and Hercules (there is a great essay on that by John Shearman in his Only Connect if you want to read more...) and probably many others that I still haven't discovered. 

So walk carefully through the city, the statues are watching you!

Piazza Santa Trinita, Firenze, 2011.

The fever of mosaics

Living in Italy as an art historian is extremely difficult. You see to much, you have still so much to visit, to study, to read. You can never cope with the quantity of historical and visual material that attacks you every day. 

The biggest problem is that when you leave Italy and you go somewhere else you find any other place boring: there are no exhibitions of Italian Masters, there are no medieval churches at every corner, and there are no historical cities every 20 km. What you can do with you free time in this kind of places?

So, as I do not know how long my Italian stop will last, I try to visit as much as possible till I am here. When I do not work and when I can put a part my books for a day or two I take a train and I go to see something that I have been only reading about before. 

It was like this with Ravenna. In April last year I went there to see THE mosaics.

I studied them during art history course so I though: OK, it will be nice, but I know what I should expect. 

No bigger mistake! 

Ravenna is a true treasure. Anything you read about the mosaics there can give you even a minimal idea of what you can see when you visit San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo or the Arian Baptistry. Colours, patterns, light surround you, flood you with their power. 

Maybe it is because of the mosaics that I remember Ravenna as a city full of light. 

Unfortunately I could not take pictures everywhere. In some churches it was to dark to take photos without a tripod and I was not allowed to use one. 

But I did some pictures that I can share with you. 

In Ravenna I had with me my 35mm camera with a black and white film. You will not see the colours of the mosaics but, thanks to the lack of colour on the photos, it is possible to notice other characteristic of mosaics: patterns. Mosaics are like carpets, they extend themselves over every surface: arches, walls, vaults. They spill over without showing any structural difference between elements that they decorate. 

Beside figural representation they are full of floral and geometric ornaments that are repeated and repeated over and over. 

When you look at them longer you risk a vertigo. 

I found this decorative patterns so fascinating also because the pattern attracted also Renaissance public and artists. It is enough to mention the revival of the Cosmatesque floors or the relations between painting and the production of textiles and textiles patterns reproduced on Renaissance paintings. 

Decorative fever, the fever of mosaics:

Mosaics in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna 2011.

Le Cure

I was always asking myself if my love to graffiti depends on fact that I study monumental frescoes. Maybe yes, maybe no, but the fact is that I love graffiti. All these funny monsters, impossible creatures, funny stories - I like it. That is why I was so happy when I discovered the underground passage in the Cure district in Florence. I was amazed by this incredible net of corridors with walls all covered by funny images and colorful writings. I new that I have to photograph it and I did. Here are some of the results: 

Le Cure, Firenze 2011.