Today was our first day of classes. I won't lie, I was pretty nervous about how things would go. I had a battle with my Kindle the night before to search for passages in my Bible and I did my readings and my research, but being a Journalism major I'm somewhat out of my element even though I'm fascinated by the material.
All of my anxieties washed away as soon as we arrived to Piazza del Popolo. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love Art History. So visiting the churches was amazing. I've seen Caravaggio's work in books, but seeing the real thing has been nearly four years in the making.
Dr. Bednarz told us a story about Judith, a heroine who killed Holophernes in an attempt to liberate her people. She tricks Holophernes into believing she is a princess and says she would be obligated to spend the night with him, murders him and walks out of the castle. She was even audacious enough to tell his guards that she had done the crime, but because she was a woman, they laughed.
Sidenote: Caravaggio also painted Judith beheading Holophernes along with dozens of other biblical scenes. His work was highly influenced by The Golden Legend. If I saw these in person, I would lose it. But you'd never know.
I loved her tenacity and her bravery. She could have easily been killed for her plan before making it to Holophernes front door. Also, as a woman, taking political matters into your own hands was unheard of (just as baptizing yourself was unheard of; I also admire Thecla).
There were recurring references to women and their strength during our lessons today. The statue of the woman consecrating the chalice (the mystery of faith) took on a task usually carried out by a man. It was beautiful to me. I remember Dr. Sebastian mentioning the precise moment in mass when the blood of Christ is transformed; an action primarily carried out by a male member of the church. It makes me wonder what the artist had in mind while designing this statue.
I took some amazing photos at the museum at Trajan's Marketplace after the churches. I love the fact that I have amazing scenery to practice my photography with.
After a delicious dinner, we arrived at The Colosseum just in time for sunset. I think all of us can agree that it was a beautiful experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment